Popeseye Steak House
Restaurant - English in London
108 Blythe Road
London
Greater London
W14 0HD
Contact Numbers
Reviews
That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more!
Without exception, the only truly great steak houses that I have ever visited (Luger's, Hawksmoor, Strip House) have made a virtue out of their limited menus. At Luger's, they prefer you don't even ask for a menu, and instead order "steak for four" and hope for the best. Even at Hawksmoor, where, as a rather patronising concession to non-carnivores they offer one fish and one vegetarian dish, the menu is short and direct - beef steaks in three different varieties in two different sizes, alongside lamb and pork. Sides are extra. A proper steakhouse should be all about the steak, and if the item you are ordering costs anything less than £20 and sits alongside Chicken Kiev or Crab Tagliatelle on a large menu, be warned.With this in mind, the menu at Popeseye in Kensington reads like a steak-lover's dream. Three different cuts of meat each served in five different sizes, and that's it. Chips come whether you like them or not, and the only additional side is a £3.95 bowl of salad. It is a menu that quite simply has everything going for it, and it was therefore all the more of a crushing disappointment to eventually taste the food.My £18.45 12oz rump steak was first of all cut incredibly strangely - it looked like two huge lobes of liver flattened out to cover the entire plate. Being so thin it was, of course, overcooked, and though not tough the poor quality meat hadn't contained enough fat to create a good char, and instead was just bitter and burned in places. A friend's 8oz rump was thicker and therefore more easily medium-rare but still of the same poor quality, tasteless watery meat. The menu proudly claims the beef is hung for two weeks and is from 100% Aberdeen Angus cattle, but then you can get an Aberdeen Angus steak from Burger King these days and they taste like crap too (in the interests of research, before you say anything). Accompanying chips were bland and insipid, the kind you would get at any high-street pub.So essentially we have a steakhouse that serves literally nothing but steak, and can't cook steak at all. I can't explain the good press this place has been getting (the door is plastered with the usual Timeout awards) but I can say that for more or less the same price you can get a dictionary-thick slice of 28-aged sirloin that will blow your mind in Hawksmoor at the other end of town, and a beautiful cup of triple-cooked chips that rank with the best in the city. Oh, and their toilets are indoors, which I'm guessing would make them more appealing in February.
A User - 11/09/2008 | report this review
Steak Haven
Popeseye to the West, Buen Ayre to the East and when I do forget to top up the Oyster I shall walk to Black and Blue on Wigmore Street instead. These are my steak faves. The ambience is totally zilch as is the menu. If any of your dining companions are vegans or vegetarians you can wave goodbye to this place or perhaps them instead. However this place might just comply with the needs of pescetarians, what with enough notice they'll pop down to the local Tesco for a rainbow trout. The mains only consist of three cuts of meats with differing sizes and weights to suit your appetite. All the steaks are served with proper fat chips and the only accompaniment offered was a salad at additional cost. Once the orders are taken, the Grill Master (I think chef is inappropriate here) hovering in the corner of the restaurant starts to cook your dinner. He's been cooking steaks here for ages ever since I first set foot five years ago. And it was him who informed me that if you notice huge flames being thrown from the griddle; that's sirloin for you.Being the cheapskate as I'm, I always order the Popeseye (rump), as it's the cheapest cut on the menu. I know that most of you folks are not born yesterday but do me favour anyhow, when ordering rump steaks don't ever order them beyond medium rare as the cut is inherently tough, especially so if grilled incorrectly. Otherwise you'll be unfairly knocking this place off and for that matter the other steak specialists. The steaks here are seared beautifully and delicious. One of my dining companions insisted that I try his Fillet, it was totally melting and jaw-droppingly good. My oh my, I haven't had a fillet steak for over ten years (budget constraints and whatnot). This minor incident can only go on to cause more deliberations on what to order the next time; 12oz Popeseye (quantity and quality) or 8oz Fillet (ladies' portion and better tasting) as they're both the same price.I can't comment much on the puddings, as I'm more of a cheese person. The sticky toffee pudding was allegedly good but the portion was too small and the ice cream tasted Wallsy.All in all, bem feito Popeseye.
A User - 08/08/2008 | report this review
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