Bar + Block Whiteley

SquareMeal Review of Bar + Block Whiteley

Whitbread’s Beefeater chain has become a household name since launching in 1974, but this new concept marks a modern departure for the company. Although the focus is on decently priced steaks (choose from five cuts of pampas-reared South American beef), the rest of the menu draws inspiration from around the globe (crispy beef salad, chicken Kiev etc). To start, we suggest bypassing the (“soggy”) empanadas in favour of, say, garlic prawns, which go brilliantly with the house Bloody Mary. Rumps, rib-eyes are sirloins are there for the taking, although the flavoursome spiral cut is a better bet with a couple of sides (beef-dripping chips and the heritage tomato salad, for example). Gargantuan churros sundaes are the pick of the sweets. The drinks list features some punchy South American wines, on-trend craft beers and Aperol Spritzes, which chime perfectly with the bare brick and neon design.