LONDON, July 29 — Situated a stone’s throw from St Paul’s Cathedral, Barbecoa is celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s flagship London restaurant.

Tucked into a first-floor corner of One New Change, a trendy fairly new shopping complex in the City of London, the outlet is situated behind discreet red floor-to-ceiling curtains which display their simple “B” logo. In fact, it’s so well hidden that although we had the address, it took a while to find; even locals weren’t aware it exists.

Despite some recent unwelcome publicity and the fact that it was already 2pm on a Friday afternoon, it was alive and heaving, packed with afternoon lunchers, mainly businessmen and staff from nearby offices, all sat on comfortable easy banquettes around large oblong tables.

Master Butcher Marco Peerdeman preparing some steaks.

It is definitely the place to be in, and to be seen in and if you’re as lucky as I was, to be seated at a table near the back which commands a premium view of the historic dome.

In the middle of the huge outlet, a long neat stainless steel open kitchen reveals half a dozen chefs moving about in a controlled frenzy, busy fulfilling the orders that come in quick and fast.

Pork scratchings with plum sauce make a terrific starter.

With a name like Barbecoa, and describing itself as “the UK’s first barbeque steakhouse”, it can mean only one thing: their house specialty is their grilled steaks. But these are no ordinary steaks.

Ready for some aged meat?

“They are 100 per cent British meats supplied to the restaurant by our in-house butcher after they are dry-aged for anything up to 70 days,” explained mein host for the afternoon Daniel Nowland, Head of Technical for the massive Jamie Oliver empire.

Although this can mean a degree of mould on the exterior of the meat—subject of a poor rating from British Health inspectors after their visit in January, but which was “swiftly dealt with”—it results in some seriously tasty, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth steaks.

Although I know it’s considered sacrilege by some, I do prefer my meat cooked, but this was not a problem here, as it was lip smacking: tender and, whether served plain or with one of the sauces on offer—the anchovy and rosemary sounded intriguing—quite, quite delicious.

If you are not a fan of things bovine, then there are other mains available: their popular Boston Unpulled Pork, served with Jalapeno cornbread perhaps, or Tandoori Chicken served with daal, coriander and lime are a couple to consider.

There’s a good selection of appetisers: a bread board with home-made chicken butter, and crunchy pork scratchings with plum sauce, served typically a la Jamie Oliver ie. on wooden chopping boards. Their best-selling Pit-smoked Baby Back Ribs brushed with finger-licking barbeque sauce and chilli is another option.

“You must try the desserts,” urged Daniel, “they are to die for.” As it turned out, this was sadly not to be the case, purely because, with a visit to the butcher’s a must, we simply ran out of time. Which just means another visit I guess, dedicated writer that I am.

So down we traipsed to their bespoke butcher’s shop situated on the ground floor of the same building but which opens out to Watling Street. Headed by award-winning Master Butcher Marco Peerdeman, the large number of aged carcasses hanging in the enormous walk-in refrigeration units behind the counters are a testimony to how seriously they take their meat—whether it is pork, lamb, baby poussins or, obviously, beef.

“Our beef is hand selected for us, and only the very best will be sent here from our Scottish abbatoirs,” explained Nowland.

Smoked Baby Back Ribs with St Paul's in the background... it doesn't get better than this

With such endorsement how could I resist purchasing a joint for the weekend roast. As it turned out, mould or no mould, together with fluffy roast potatoes, home-made Yorkshires and a delightful Bordeaux, the meat was definitely one of the best I’ve ever tasted. Can’t wait to get another.

Barbecoa

20 New Change Passage

City of London

Greater London EC4M 9AG

Tel: 020 3005 8555

Opening Hours: 11.30am-11pm Mondays to Fridays

Noon-11pm Saturdays (10pm Sundays)

 

Butcher Shop

82 Watling Street

London EC4M 9BX

Tel: 020 3375 5553

Opening hours: 7am-7pm Mondays to Fridays, 9am-5pm Saturdays, Noon-4pm Sundays