Blacklock Shoreditch
Shoreditch, London
All-round appeal, a boisterous vibe and egalitarian prices are three reasons to be cheerful at this branch of the Blacklock mini chain, housed in the shell of an old furniture factory not far from Old Street station. The decor is standard-issue industrial-chic, the food reinvented chophouse victuals – deliciously crusted, smoky hunks of meat in various guises. Get started by ordering some ‘pre-chop bites’ (potted meats fired up with kimchi, say), before tackling the bigger stuff. The chain takes its name from the vintage Blacklock irons used for grilling its blushing-pink ‘skinny chops’, but you can also feast on ‘doorstop-thick’ prime ribs, lamb rumps and various grass-fed, dry-aged steaks – although the top deal for sharing is the £25 ‘all in’ offer (a stack of beef, pork and lamb piled high on herb-flecked chargrilled flatbreads to soak up the juices). Sauces, sides and salads bump up the offer, rendering the limited choice of puds almost superfluous. Blacklock is also famed for its nostalgic Sunday lunch. Whole joints are roasted the old-fashioned way and the revelling continues through the day – be warned, bookings are at a premium. Own-label beers, wines on tap and trendy cocktails from the trolley ensure that the good times roll.
