Black and Blue Steakhouse, London W.1.

I really miss the steak houses in the United States and have finally found one  in London which does the trick, and almost makes me think I’m back in D.C. It is the Black and Blue on Wigmore Street in Central London,  located on a quiet street between the shopping district of Oxford Street and Marylebone High Street.   And just down the road is the Wigmore Hall, famous for its classical concerts. There are  in fact several other branches of the same chain – one in the fantastic Borough Food Market in Southwark which alone is worth a visit – it’s a food lover’s paradise.

Your first clue that it’s a steak house is the large black cow standing outside on the pavement  and, once inside, the  leather booths typical of such restaurants on the East Coast of the United States.   There is also a glass communal table with stools in front of the well-stocked bar, conducive to striking up conversations with your fellow-diners.

The menu is straightforward –  simple starters such as home made soup,  and then mostly steak, steak and more steak  – with salads and french fries.

The meat is absolutely first class and all British beef.  I shared a Cote de Boeuf with my son, and the other guest had a fillet steak – . and none of us wanted the meal to end.   The portions are generous – half a pound for the fillet steak and a pound and a half for the Cote de boeuf for 2 people. The prices respectively were £20 and £30.  The french fries were home made and hand cut – and the salad was a large attractive bowl of mixed greens with tomatoes and cucumber, with the dressing on the side.

Plenty of excellent wines by the glass and there again generously served.  I had a  Rioja which was one of the nicest I have drunk recently,  and they also happily bring you a jug of fresh water – which in many restaurants is done rather grudgingly – they’d much rather sell you an expensive bottle of water!

So if you’re looking for a really good steak, this is the place to go.