Fluid Eating's Review of The Meat And Wine Co
As the name suggests, The Meat and Wine Co. is a place that will strike fear into the hearts of teetotallers and vegetarians alike. From the moment you enter the venue via a fiery over sized doorway, you know that your experience is going to be a carnivorous, intoxicating affair. Once inside, the warm, heavy interior of the ground floor bar consumes you, and you'll completely forget that you’re about to dine in a restaurant that is set within the grounds of a stark shopping centre complex.
Starting your meal with a cocktail is the only way to begin, especially when presented with expertly made drinks - like the classic mojito - and beverages that play on the restaurant's African roots such as the stonking 'White Rhino'.
Making your way up to the first floor restaurant via a flight of stairs wrapped around a 10.5m tower of New World wines, this is not just ‘falling’ off the proverbial wagon, this is positively being ‘pushed’. It's guaranteed to leave you salivating with anticipation for the first glass. And the wine list certainly won't disappoint. Ignore the first few pages where the options are listed by the glass; anything less than a bottle and you'll feel like you're unable to take up the gauntlet that a restaurant this dramatic throws down.
Theatrics are provided by the chefs, whose kitchen is encased in glass and situated as a central focal point for the diners. The rest of the dining experience is shrouded in the kind of opulence that hasn't been seen since the villainous decadence of a 1970's Bond film. Being seated in a red leather booth while a pink marble encased fire roars out the wall has to be experienced to be believed. The only disconcerting aspect of the restaurant is the presentation of a series of TV screens playing, on loop, wildlife DVDs. Watching animals run around on screen feels a little perverse when ostrich and kangaroo are present on the menu.
The charming and slightly tentative waiter made dining a seamless experience; ideal for solely enjoying the delicious offerings of the menu. The tasting platter of entrees seemed like the sensible option to start. My dinner companion and I were presented with battered calamari and Peri-Peri prawns - both of which can be unpalatable disasters if over or under cooked. These I’m happy to say were just right - served alongside bruschetta and Halloumi cheese; a surprisingly Mediterranean element to the menu.
Obviously meat is the only way to go when deciding upon a main. I enjoyed a fillet steak cooked rare, as requested, which was tender beyond belief. Most of the dishes are accompanied with fresh steakhouse chips; this felt a little TGI Friday, but the decidedly mature selection of sauces (recommended: the mushroom) and sides (creamed spinach is possibly the best way to get one of your 5 a day) more than make up for this. ‘You get what you pay for’ seems the perfect adage for this restaurant; yes, you'll pay a little more here than you would for an average steak dinner, but this is far from an average steakhouse.
The Meat and Wine Co. at Westfield has the distinction of being the UK's first of its kind so is able to establish itself as a destination venue, rather than a retreat for the odd shopper. The perfect example of what happens when a fun, young restaurant grows up, it is definitely worth making a trip for.
Reviewed by Paul Wells.
Description: The Meat & Wine Co, located in the new Westfield London, is the group’s first restaurant to open in the United Kingdom. This new flagship restaurant continues to set the benchmark for design and décor trends in the steakhouse market. Leveraged by its African heritage, The Meat & Wine Co's goal is to provide a unique and enjoyable dining experience in a stylish and relaxed environment! Lavish decor combined with rich textures and colours add to the contemporary feel of this exciting restaurant. Here, the steak is a cut above - premium quality meat is carefully selected and monitored through the maturing process, with each steak cared for from the pasture to the plate! The steaks are basted and grilled to perfection on an open flame, sealing in all the flavours to ensure a succulent taste experience! There is also a variety of other options including seafood, poultry and vegetarian. The unique wine tower, spanning over 10 metres from the ground floor to the first floor ceiling, is touted as the tallest display of wine in London and boasts an impressive selection from Europe and the New World producing regions. (Updated 19/10/2009)
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