Ox Club

Walk through the Ox Club's door, and the whiff of smoke preps you for the unplugged open-fire cooking that lies ahead. Mid-century furniture and houseplants soften the industrial feel of the ‘achingly cool’ brick and concrete room, while some clever landscaping partitions give the whole place a cosy ambience. Everything here has a subtle char and smokiness: watermelon is grilled slowly until the rind is tenderised, while beef tartare (served with gherkin ketchup and a veil of shoestring potatoes) also takes on a smoky tang. The steak offering is focused – a 400g sirloin or an 800g côte de boeuf sharer are mainstays – but specialist cuts and regular ‘chop nights’ cater to more specific tastes. Grilled rare-breed pork has the most unbelievable crackling, as well as accompaniments including Mexican tajin seasoning, chipotle and pineapple ketchup. Praiseworthy Sunday roasts might feature roast rump cap of beef, although the pear and caramelised onion porchetta with trotter and fennel gravy is an outright winner. The whole show is enhanced by laid-back, well-informed service. Drinks include a fair selection of (mostly organic) wines with plenty by the glass.