Whether you’re a flexitarian, seagan, pescatarian, vegan or eat only braised cabbage when Mercury is in retrograde, sustainability and examining how we eat is hot and (hopefully) here to stay. But where does meat fit into this? Rather than lessening, menus are becoming richer with different cuts, from heart and tongue to head and cheek. So put down your steak, open your mind and get ready to try something new with our (non-gross) guide to eating offal and different cuts of meat in London.
St John
The OG of nose-to-tail dining, St John has been making offal the star of their show for the last 25 years. While he may have left the kitchen, Fergus Henderson’s ethos is still in swing, with a daily changing menu that sources seasonally and locally, whether that be ox heart with Jerusalem artichoke and aioli, or braised tripe with carrots and mint. Stop by Smithfield Market - their very first restaurant - for an evening of white-tableclothed dining, French-sourced wine, and an experience that will expand your meaty repertoire.
St John's are pioneers in nose-to-tail dining.
The Jugged Hare
While they used to serve an entire pig’s head at the former Ealing Park Tavern, ETM Group have gone a little more digestible when it comes to their City stalwart, The Jugged Hare. Despite its central location, the boozer has plenty of country hallmarks, from the taxidermy behind the bar through to the game-centric menu. Ditch your usual chicken in favour of mallard, pheasant, partridge, pigeon, grouse or woodcock from their feast list, while everyday dining is characterised by Wild Suffolk roe deer, duck liver parfait, and its namesake, a jugged hare, which uses the hare’s blood for additional flavour.
Traditional vibes abound at this City boozer.
Loyal Tavern
Head chef Tom Cenci honed his craft at Duck & Waffle before striking out on his own with this cute Bermondsey bolthole. Focusing on seasonal dining, Loyal Tavern sources from Devon day boats and neighbouring Bermondsey Market traders to create meaty dishes such as kid goat and pork belly meatballs with poached rhubarb and spinach puree, as well as, chicken skin crackling with hot sauce and blue cheese. Drinks are distinguished with a list of short, boozy concoctions that infuse berries, herbs, and spices into sips.
From an ex- Duck & Waffle chef, Loyal Tavern is making the most of British produce.
temper
If you’re worried about sustainability when it comes to meat consumption, temper is going a long way to allay fears. Founded by Neil Rankin, the BBQ-led restaurants now number a grand total of three (with the chef also responsible for a new vegan burger joint on Brick Lane). In order to minimise their wastage, the eateries order rare-breed, high-welfare, whole animals from small UK farms, butchering on site to allow them to use more of the meat. For us, that means the likes of haggis, housemade beef sausages and beef fat bernaise, alongside excellent cuts of steak.
Worship at the temper's temple of meat.
Ceviche
Dip your toe into London’s offal-eating scene in colourful style at Ceviche, Soho’s vibrant Peruvian restaurant. Get stuck into anticuchos, a popular South American dish of panca chill-flavoured beef heart skewers, best ordered with a side of cassava fries. A visit to this city centre hangout is also a great excuse to try their raw fish - aka ceviche - selection; the signature dish of sea bass, classic tiger’s milk, red onion, sweet potato and Andean corn, will have you hooked on Lima-style dining in no time.
Lima-cool abounds in this Soho spot.
Hide
The behemoth that’s manned by Ollie Dabbous, Hide is fancier than a peacock in a pair of pink pantaloons.The Mayfair spot is split into several storeys, if you’re feeling plush, upstairs is home to tasting menus and spenny wine, while things are a little more reasonable on the ground floor. For one of the smartest takes on offal in the capital, order the roasted veal sweetbreads (thymus or pancreas) served with a smoked almond praline - or if you can only afford a starter, there’s a very tasty chicken liver parfait with fig and hibiscus chutney.
For the fanciest take on offal, head over to Hide.
Momo London
The older sister to Sketch, Momo is an old hand on London’s party dining scene. Hidden just off Heddon Street, the restaurant is modelled around a Moroccan medina, from the golden dome in the centre of the room to the abundance of leafy plants. Dining follows the same inspiration with nods to neighbouring North African countries; think pan fried chicken livers with sesame seeds, quail pastilla, and warming tagines leading the menu.
Hearty and warming dishes in an elaborate setting? It can only be Momo.
Blacklock
Two-hour waits on Sundays and accolades thrown every which way at its roast, the numbers speak for themselves at Blacklock. With three restaurants across London, the brand has established a reputation for itself by working exclusively with one Cornish farm to source free-to-roam, high welfare beef which is then cut into various steaks for diners. There’s some tasty left-field options too; try the meaty pig’s head on toast with gravy, or the garlic and bone marrow spread for an easy way to ease into offal.
Blacklock is serving incredible meat to the masses in Soho, Shoreditch and the City.
XU London
A taste of 1930s Taiwan can be found on Rupert Street with the positively dreamy XU London. A blushed pink and dark wood wonderland, this little bar seems a million miles away from Soho with games of mahjong and a whisky and Taiwanese tea tasting menu. The food list is also based around the Asian island with some borrowing from Cantonese cooking. The original chicken feet may have gone but there’s still plenty of unusual cuts, including lamb sweetbreads and pork neck.
You might just forget you're in London in this gorgeous Soho spot.
If you're looking for more meat in London, check out our guide to the best steak in the city here.
