"One of the Best Culinary Experiences I've Ever Had"

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The Meat Company's menu exceeds Jack Collins' high expectations

Bearing in mind that The Meat Company was voted as the best South-African restaurant in London, last year, I went along on a summery London evening with exceptionally high hopes and to say that it exceeded these would be a stark understatement.

The restaurant is situated just off the walkway on the way into Westfield, and as soon as you walk in there’s an air of calm and sophistication that takes you away from the madness of the shopping precinct.

We had a drink at the lovely bar downstairs before heading up to the top floor where the restaurant is situated. The interior is plush and warm, with the wall of wine bottles a nice addition to the setting.

But ultimately, what matters about The Meat Co is that the food, from start to finish, was absolutely top-notch. We were given a bowl of Biltong to chew on whilst we made our decisions, a South African delicacy made of cured beef and spices, and it was so tasty that we were through it before we’d even made our minds up! We ordered a really nice South African red wine, the Mischief Maker, which was light and suited us down to the ground.) I ordered another delicacy, the boerewors for a starter whilst Andrew, my companion, went for the half-rack of ribs.

The ribs were possibly the most tender meat I have ever tasted, falling off the bone and cooked in a traditional braii glaze which made them perfectly sweet, that had us wondering if we should order the full rack to follow as a main! The boerewors were served on a bed of pap (a creamy African polenta-esque mash) with a fiery tomato sauce and all three of these complemented each other perfectly as a smorgasbord of taste.

Having heard all about the steaks from our wonderful waitress, we both decided to go for the house specialty, with Andrew opting for a New York Black Angus sirloin and myself for a T-bone of the same variety. We ordered some sides as well, onion rings (which were really thin and crispy, but excellent), some seasonal vegetables and the suggested fries.

The steaks were barbecued in a sweet house glaze, arrived swiftly and were amongst the best steaks either of us had ever had. Cooked to perfection and served in huge portions, our conversation fell completely silent for a good five minutes.

From two lads who like the sound of their own voices, that’s high praise indeed. We sat back afterwards and were offered dessert, but we were both so full that we had to sit for a good half an hour before we could even contemplate the concept.

When I got around to it though, it matched up to the rest of the meal perfectly - I ordered a chocolate fondant with pistachio ice-cream. The cake was moist, the inside perfectly gooey and the ice cream (which I think was half almond) was a perfect companion.

Overall, The Meat Co was one of the best culinary experiences I’ve ever had, the atmosphere was fantastic, the service exceptional and the food absolutely exquisite. I can’t recommend it enough.

The Meat Co: Unit 1026
Westfield Shopping Centre
London, W12 7GA

Tel- 0208 749 5914

Jack Collins