Butcher & Grill

The Butcher and Grill replaced the dismal Cafe Rouge and promised a lot with its good concept – top quality butcher and deli out the front, quality cooking out the back. The shop at least, in particular the butchery, was going to be a welcome addition to the area and it would be good to have some more dining options. Sadly, neither has delivered to the expectation.
I would not dispute that the shop and butcher sell quality produce, but the prices seem to be very much at the higher end of what would be expected. I have made last minute purchases here on a Sunday afternoon, but if you plan ahead and are prepared to travel a little further – Northcote Road or Elystan Street – you can find equally good meat for a keener price.
Where the concept really fails to deliver is in the restaurant. The service is ok and the menu is undoubtedly appealing, but the chefs don't seem able to produce the quality. The fact it is open from early (0830) to late is good, but my most recent visit for breakfast was very disappointing. I had full English, which was priced at £9.50. This is not the most expensive cooked breakfast in London, but it is certainly getting up there; I therefore expect top quality. Sadly, the cooking was particularly poor, with the fried eggs being particularly bad – I would have expected an option on poached, fried, scrambled. My wife's pancakes were no better being excessively thick and chewy.
It pains me to say this as the concept is good and when I get up on a Saturday or Sunday morning the thought is appealing and it is only a 5 minute walk, but I have to say that I would rather walk a little further, spend less and get a better meal.

The Butcher & Grill took over from the dismal Cafe Rouge and was a breath of fresh air when it opened a few years back. The guy behind it, Dominic Ford, used to run the food and restaurants at Harvery Nichols, and he also owns a couple of other restaurants, Binchi Yakitori & Tamesa at the Oxo Tower. The concept here is admirable, there's a butchers shop and upmarket deli at the front, with the restaurant and bar on two levels behind. The rear opens out onto Ransome's Dock, which sounds glamourous but it's not much of a view as the Dock is mostly full of sludge and litter plus a few bockety old boats. The food has always been good, they serve well-sourced meat of most descriptions which you can pick from the butchers if you so wish, and it has remained popular with locals. There are little touches that work like chips that come in a terracotta flower pot and the ketchup etc are well made. It has a special menu for kids who can have their choice of a limited 2 course menus for around £5. The only problem for me is the service which has been decidely ropey on a number of occasions (we've been here alot as a family of 5). They're well meaning, but it always takes too long for the food to arrive which is puzzling when they're never rammed. I've never been in the evenings, but I doubt it's any different. We will continue to go but just wish it was a little quicker.