Established in South Africa in 2000, The Meat Co Steakhouse opened in London in 2008 at the Southern Terrace end at Westfield’s Shepherds Bush. It is an expansive space, with the ground floor operating as a bar, and upstairs as an enormous dining area decorated in warm dark tones. The headline act is the Connoisseurs’ Choice of Cuts, which includes chateaubriand, wagyu and kangaroo. There are also super-aged steaks, and these meats, sourced from both the UK and the US are firstly basted in a secret traditional recipe before being flame grilled to order. Also on the menu is a variety of chicken, seafood and veggie options. And paramount to its success is that The Meat Co prides itself on offering an approved Halal menu.

I first visited The Meat Co a couple of years ago and had a very respectable and enjoyable experience. This time around it was just as enjoyable. Moreover the desserts had stepped up another level and were even better than I remembered.

We tried a variety of starters including the salt and pepper calamari (£8), peri-peri prawns (£10.50) and chicken wings (£8.75). The calamari was excellent, being tender and coated with a light, crispy and well-seasoned batter. The prawns in a peri-peri sauce had been pan-fried with shallots and garlic and were firm in texture with a good flavour. The peri-peri sauce itself was decent, if a little bit too strong in flavour from the use of peppers. The chicken wings were solid and had been coated with a sweet, sticky sauce that was ever so moreish.

The Meat Co – London Food Blog – Calamari

The Meat Co – London Food Blog – Prawns peri-peri

The Meat Co – London Food Blog – Chicken wings

The chateaubriand (£20 per 100gm, 500gm minimum) was perfectly cooked to the requested medium rare, tender and boasting with flavour. It was accompanied by a variety of sides including asparagus, chips and sautéed mushrooms, all of which were well made. As an extra, we ordered a side of roasted bone marrow (£7.50) to go with the steak. It was an extremely generous portion. Roasted with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and nicely seasoned, it was rich and unctuous, and went very well with the steak.

The Meat Co – Chateaubriand

The Meat Co – Chateaubriand

The beef ribs (£24 – 500gm) in contrast were a little disappointing. They were reasonably tender but there wasn’t enough sauce so they tasted a little dry. We chose mash potatoes to accompany the ribs and these were really good, being smooth, creamy and deliciously buttery.

The Meat Co – Beef ribs

The desserts were a delight, with our favourite being the banana bread pudding (£7.25). This was a gorgeous dessert. Served warm, it was moist and delicious with a gentle banana flavour running through it.

The Meat Co – Banana bread pudding

The peanut butter cheesecake (£8.25) was also a dream. It reminded us of a snickers bar, only better, with a crunchy base and a generous peanut and caramel flavour. This was very well made.

The Meat Co – Peanut butter cheesecake

We couldn’t fault the clementine brulee (£7) either. The brulee was creamy and delicate. Only a touch of clementine had been used so it did not over power the brulee itself.

The Meat Co – Clementine brulee

All in all, this was a very successful evening with our particular favourites being the calamari, the chateaubriand and the desserts. The Meat Co is an all-round decent restaurant with good food and thoughtful and friendly service. There’s a chilled out vibe to it which makes it ideal for everyone, including families. The steaks are a little pricey however, but the menu is extensive (about ten pages), so there is a little something for everyone, especially diners who eat halal.

SUMMARY INFORMATION:
Likes:
1) The calamari.
2) The chateaubriand was delicious but pricey.
3) The desserts were excellent.

Dislikes:
1) The ribs were a little dry.

Food rating: 3.75/5
Service rating: 3.5/5

Average Price: £30 to £80 for three courses, excludes drinks and service.

Website: http://the-meat-co.com/westfield