Based on original content by Joanne Gould.
It's an oft-fought battle, and for good reason — the accolade of London's best steak is serious business. Whether you like it blue and mooing, organic USDA dry aged, dressed up to the nines with sides or served simply with some silky béarnaise, our fair city definitely has the steak for you. Read on for our guide to the capital's most well-hung steak offerings, in no particular order.
Hawksmoor
An undisputed carnivore's paradise, Hawksmoor has endeavoured to become the best steak restaurant in London since opening the first Spitalfields branch in 2006. Their commitment to incredible British beef - grass fed, native breeds, carefully dry aged - means they may just have achieved it.
Each of the five London posts has a different vibe (Air Street is our favourite) where you can enjoy impeccably cooked juicy steaks to your heart's content. And lobster rolls. We suggest sharing one of the bone-in large cuts, and the creamed spinach side is a must too. If money’s tight, check out the set lunch menu which features a 35-day aged rump for terrific value.
Hawksmoor, various locations around London including Piccadilly Circus, Borough, Knightsbridge, Spitalfields and more
Flat Iron
Consistently up there in the Soho cheap eats stakes, Flat Iron's steak and salad has nailed delicious simplicity for an appetising £10. Sides and sauces cost extra but at around £2-3 a pop for small dishes like dripping-cooked chips and roast aubergine, or a mere quid for peppercorn and béarnaise sauces, your budget still won't be blown.
It's a no reservations place, but get there early for lunch and you should have no problem grabbing a table. Sides include dripping chips, roast aubergine and peppercorn sauce.
Flat Iron, various locations around London including Soho, Shoreditch, King's Cross, London Bridge and more
M Restaurant
On the Hawksmoor end of the price scale rather than the Flat Iron one, M Restaurant branches serve up a high-shine steakhouse experience. Surprisingly good at the fish and vegetarian dishes — look out for the turbot with samphire — and with a cocktail bar upstairs at their Threadneedle Street location turning out solid versions of the classics, M Restaurant has more going for it than just its beef.
But if you're a carnivore with money to spend, you'd be crazy to visit one of their London restaurants without exploring the steak list. M GRILL at the Threadneedle Street restaurant has its own Himalayan salt chamber where they age steaks from around the world, including the highest grades of Wagyu and Kobe beef. Plus wines to match.
M Restaurant has restaurants in the City, Victoria and Twickenham
Goodman Restaurant
A New York style steakhouse from the moneyed Russians behind Burger & Lobster and, more recently, Zelman Meats (which only just missed out on this list). Steaks here are loud, proud and flown in from around the world for Londoners willing to part with the cash.
A server helps you select the best size and cut for you from a tray of raw steak, allowing you to admire the dense, creamy fat and impressive marbling of their USDA New York Strip, Porterhouse or pure Scottish fillet before it's blessed with the Josper grill. Undeniably delicious.
Goodman Restaurant has restaurants in Mayfair, the City and Canary Wharf
Sagardi
This is the first London location for Grupo Sagardi, a behemoth of the Basque restaurant scene worldwide, with footholds in Buenos Aires, Barcelona and 20 more locations in between.
All that practice pays off. They are thoroughly good at steak, with the Txuleton being a speciality: aged dairy steak, charcoal-grilled and intended for sharing like a Chateaubriand. It comes in minimum quantities so enormous (and pricey) you'll need to choose your company carefully — this is a spot for people who want to eat a lot of good meat, and don't mind dropping a serious amount of cash on it.
Sagardi, 95 Curtain Road, EC2A 3BS
Omnino
Nestled in the heart of Leadenhall, Omnino is a family run affair that prides itself on its connections with South American ranch suppliers and a certain artistry in grilling meat.
Expect to see favourites like ceviche, empanadas and churrascuro of Argentine beef. But there's also a startling rib eye trio allowing you to sample the marbled wares of wagyu, prime US and Argentinian rib eye steaks. Their set menu is worth a look too.
Omnino, 78-79 Leadenhall Street, EC3A 3DH
Le Relais de Venise/L’Entrecote
No menus at Le Relais, and all the better for it. You get to choose how you'd like your steak cooked but beyond that, the power is out of your hands. Take your seat and enjoy a leafy walnut salad before the steak frites arrives, prepared to your liking. It's served with their signature — and very secret — sauce, which to all intents and purposes is a pimped-up herby béarnaise.
The latter part of your perfectly cooked entrecote is held back and kept warm, then brought to you when you're ready for it served with plenty more of their excellent fries. At £24, it's incredible value: hence the queues.
Le Relais de Venise/L'Entrecote has restaurants in Marylebone, the City and Soho
Heliot
Opinion is divided on this casino/steakhouse, with naysayers unable to overlook the historically negative connotations of its Hippodrome location. But, previously voted Bookatable's steak restaurant of the year by its customers, Heliot has an army of fans too, who love its good meat offerings and people-watching opportunities. Steaks are the real deal: USDA aged between four and six weeks and served with luxurious sides of millionaire's mac 'n' cheese (truffled and topped with duck egg), lobster tail and roast bone marrow.
Heliot, Cranbourn Street, WC2H 7JH
Blacklock
Former chop shop Blacklock is technically a chop house, but that doesn't stop them from serving what must be some of the best value steak in London — 55-day aged rump cap at just £15. Available at both lunch and dinner, the cut is part of a daily changing menu of cuts, so check before you head down there.
If you're here for lunch, don't miss the chance to sink your teeth into their delectable steak sandwich, served on sourdough, packed with aged hanger steak and pimped with some extra savoury bone marrow. Other meats are given a little love here too, with the likes of lamb t-bone and a big ol' pork tomahawk also getting in on the action.
Blacklock has restaurants in Soho, the City and Shoreditch