Zelman Meats is part of the Goodman Restaurant Group, the team behind the Goodman steakhouses in Mayfair, the City and Canary Wharf, as well as the hugely successful Burger and Lobster chain. It takes over the spot which was once Rex & Mariano, also another venture from the Goodman Restaurant Group. At Rex & Mariano, the focus was reasonably priced seafood which unfortunately didn’t take off. With Zelman’s Meats, the group has shifted its focus to meat, but again with an eye on reasonable pricing.
The décor at Zelman’s Meat is sleek with a tinge of industrial chic. The restaurant is spacious with an open kitchen, dark red leather booth seating, industrial-style lighting and exposed ventilation. In place of traditional paper menus are blackboards on the wall with that day’s offerings. There are three main cuts of meat, picanha (£6 per 100g), chateaubriand (£9 per 100g) and ribs (£12 per piece). The first two are priced by weight with the minimum portion size being 200g.

We ordered the sliced picanha and the chateaubriand, and we enjoyed both of them. The beef came out medium rare, was well seasoned and boasted of a robust charred flavour. Although both cuts of meat were tasty, the chateaubriand was unsurprisingly the better of the two. It had a better flavour as well as being the more tender. We also ordered some sauces to go with the beef, these being the bernaise (75p) and the chimichurri (75p). The bernaise was good with a nice hint of acidity, however the chimichurri was bland.

Zelman Meats – Picanha & chateaubriand

The triple cooked chips (£4.50) were excellent – these were superbly crunchy with a light fluffy centre. In contrast the roasted aubergine with yoghurt and harissa (£7) lacked for flavour. The harissa didn’t quite pack a punch and so did little to lift the aubergine.

Zelman Meats – Triple cooked chips

We finished with a dessert of apple pie with vanilla ice cream (£5.50), a special recipe by ‘Will’s Nan’. The pastry was solid, the apple filling was soft but not mushy nor too sweet. Overall this was a solid, respectable dessert.

Zelman Meats – Apple pie

Without a doubt the winning elements were the meat and the triple cooked chips, which were not only good, but reasonably priced as well. The service was charming and the décor was smart. Even though a few aspects of the food missed the mark, Zelman Meats works for a pleasant evening out.

SUMMARY INFORMATION:
Likes:
1) The meat
2) The triple cooked chips
3) Reasonable prices
4) Pleasant service and good ambience.

Dislikes:
1) The aubergine with harissa.

Food rating: 3.5/5
Service rating: 3.5/5

Price: About £30 to £40 a head, excludes drinks and service.

Website: http://www.zelman-meats.com/