At the table: Sad steaks seasoned with despair
The London Standard|November 07, 2024
Fetch the smelling salts, you're in for a shock: A Restaurant Critic Hates a Famously Terrible Restaurant. Low-hanging fruit? Perhaps.
DAVID ELLIS
At the table: Sad steaks seasoned with despair

Angus Steakhouse Branches across town

But recently Reddit wags have been hyping Angus Steakhouses as hidden gems with the finest steak in town. It's a ruse to shepherd tourists away from the decent places.

Influencers too, even the veggies.

Perhaps it's working. Under the jazz club red of its frontage, the man on the door was pursing his lips. "A table for two?" he said, looking inside dubiously.

"We're full..." A low point, being turned away from an Angus Steakhouse. "I don't suppose Jay Rayner has to put up with this," smirked my pal.

But one table freed up, so in we went.

A restaurant of faded fortunes, not ugly but unloved. A room police-raid bright, of red and black and mirrors, of velour banquettes worn thin by a thousand ample American backsides. Beside us a couple, adults, spend the evening building Lego. What must life be like at home? The room smelt of pubs in the Nineties (one of which presumably donated the carpet), of heavy red wine and despair.

The menus continue the Nineties pub thing, being plastered in pictures.

Who, really, can this be for? Are people going out for steak without knowing what one is? Not that the menu was especially reliable, given much of what we wanted was unavailable, including various steaks. This on a Monday night.

This story is from the November 07, 2024 edition of The London Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 07, 2024 edition of The London Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE LONDON STANDARDView All
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
The London Standard

Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?

Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now

time-read
3 mins  |
November 14, 2024
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
The London Standard

He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world

This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.

time-read
7 mins  |
November 14, 2024
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
The London Standard

How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining

After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution

time-read
4 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Money is worth less than time'
The London Standard

Money is worth less than time'

He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?

time-read
4 mins  |
November 14, 2024
London's Roman Amphitheatre
The London Standard

London's Roman Amphitheatre

Guildhall Yard, EC2V

time-read
3 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
The London Standard

Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere

There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Do we have to die?
The London Standard

Do we have to die?

One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no

time-read
4 mins  |
November 14, 2024
The London Standard

How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh

From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 14, 2024
London's best festive restaurants
The London Standard

London's best festive restaurants

The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Rag'n'Bone Man
The London Standard

Rag'n'Bone Man

I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'

time-read
6 mins  |
November 14, 2024