Black & Blue

The name of this eatery gives the game away as steaks are their specialty, all made from prime British beef and aged for 28 days, although doesn’t everywhere claim to have the best 28-day-aged hung-in-a-special-way beef nowadays?

There is sirloin, ribeye, fillet, T-bone and the mammoth 600g cote de boef to choose from, as well as burgers and several other meat/fish dishes. The marbled ribeye suffers a little from the fat being a tad on the chewy side, however the fillet steak is far better, a tender and velvety lump of meat with a chargrilled crisp exterior. The succulent butterfly prawns come with heaps of garlic butter, and the crunchy asparagus with a poached egg and Hollandaise sauce, while very tasty is nothing out of the ordinary. The baked New York cheesecake is rich and crumbly, drizzled with toffee sauce and served with vanilla ice cream, even more sinful are the huge chocolate and vanilla ice cream scoops with chocolate sauce that fill my companion’s bowl.

The wine selection is extensive and features a mixture of big name producers and smaller vineyards; a lightly floral Gavi di Gavi is priced at £35.

The price tags attached to each dish suit the locations where Black & Blue branches are situated, Borough Market, Gloucester Road, Notting Hill and this Berners Street location, as a three course meal for two averages around £100. What sets Black & Blue apart from other steakhouses? Well, despite its attractive, spacious interior it runs the risk of looking like every other bar/restaurant in Fitrovia, however it does boast a large outdoor terrace which becomes a very popular meeting place in warm evenings. While their menu does stick to a tried and tested formula, it’s a reliable one that will please many palates.