Home of THE best steak in London
If you're a steak-loving carnivore, you'll know how difficult it can be to find a really good steak. Despite having eaten a wealth of steaks over the years, the perfect steak had remained elusive until my visit to OXBO Bankside, a stylish restaurant located in the Hilton London Bankside Hotel in Southwark.
Upon arrival, we noticed an A-board on the pavement, which proclaimed that the restaurant had 'the best steak in London'. Now this was a big claim, and of course with claims like these we had VERY high hopes for the steak, which we couldn't wait to devour.
Upon arrival, we noticed an A-board on the pavement, which proclaimed that the restaurant had 'the best steak in London'. Now this was a big claim, and of course with claims like these we had VERY high hopes for the steak, which we couldn't wait to devour.
The vibe
The large dining room is cleverly arranged to create a series of intimate dining areas, making it a great place for either a romantic meal or a client dinner. The welcoming, industrial chic decor with its striking black ad white floor tiles, exposed brick walls and well-illuminated grilling area where diners can watch the chefs preparing their meals, was very impressive and reminded me of some of the funkier establishments you'd likely find in New York.
The large dining room is cleverly arranged to create a series of intimate dining areas, making it a great place for either a romantic meal or a client dinner. The welcoming, industrial chic decor with its striking black ad white floor tiles, exposed brick walls and well-illuminated grilling area where diners can watch the chefs preparing their meals, was very impressive and reminded me of some of the funkier establishments you'd likely find in New York.
We loved the quirky decor touches such as the paper mache animal heads displayed on the walls, which at first glance appeared to be an extensive range of taxidermy, but luckily (for the animals) were merely unique works of art.
The food
The menu offers a good variety of dishes, with something to suit all tastes. For our starters, we each opted for the soup; my companion had the ham and pea soup (really hearty and like a meal in itself) and I had the the Kobacha pumpkin soup (£7),a comforting soup topped with red onion and sage fritters, which added depth of flavour and texture). For the mains, my companion had the Shoulder of New Romney Lamb (£21), served with lentils, sweetbreads, pumpkin, soy beans, pearl onions, which looked like the perfect 'winter warmer' - an ideal dish for a cold autumn day.
The menu offers a good variety of dishes, with something to suit all tastes. For our starters, we each opted for the soup; my companion had the ham and pea soup (really hearty and like a meal in itself) and I had the the Kobacha pumpkin soup (£7),a comforting soup topped with red onion and sage fritters, which added depth of flavour and texture). For the mains, my companion had the Shoulder of New Romney Lamb (£21), served with lentils, sweetbreads, pumpkin, soy beans, pearl onions, which looked like the perfect 'winter warmer' - an ideal dish for a cold autumn day.
As you can imagine, the star of the show was the highly accoladed Aberdeen Angus steak (£30), an impressive slab of meaty goodness that was nearly two inches thick. As any good steak should be, it was exceptionally moist and had the prefect amount of char grill, which gave it a deliciously smoky flavour. The whole time I was enjoying the steak, I heard the voice of Crocodile Dundee in my head saying 'That's not a steak - THIS is a steak!' In true steak and chips style, the steak was accompanied by authentically delicious hand cut, skin-on fries.
Of course, there is always room for dessert, so we shared the lemon tart with blueberry ganache (£7), which was beautifully presented with dainty meringues and edible violets. The tart had just the right amount of citrus sharpness to round off the meal nicely and we left feeling blissfully satisfied with our meal.
The verdict
Although it has been a couple of months since our visit, my companion and I have been telling everyone we know that they MUST visit to try the steak, so if that's not testament to it's fabulousness, I don't know what is.
Get there soon before the secret's out of the bag.
Hilton London Bankside
2-8 Great Suffolk Street
London
SE1 OUG
Our experience overall
Food and drink *****
Ambience *****
Staff attentiveness/friendliness *****
info@oxbobankside.co.uk
A.A. Miln
Although it has been a couple of months since our visit, my companion and I have been telling everyone we know that they MUST visit to try the steak, so if that's not testament to it's fabulousness, I don't know what is.
Get there soon before the secret's out of the bag.
Hilton London Bankside
2-8 Great Suffolk Street
London
SE1 OUG
Our experience overall
Food and drink *****
Ambience *****
Staff attentiveness/friendliness *****
info@oxbobankside.co.uk
A.A. Miln
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