The location of Butler’s Wharf Chophouse is so idyllic that they can afford to charge a bit more for their food, so they do. On a gorgeously sunny spring day the outdoor seating area overlooks the glistening Thames, as close as London’s ever going to get to the French Riviera. A lovely place to lunch.
It is a stylish restaurant and I couldn’t help but notice that the waitresses were all wearing matching colourful spring dresses, a very on trend uniform!
After an extra chilled glass of beautifully pale and light Pinot Grigio and some crusty bread, my brother and I skipped starters to go straight to main. The Chophouse specialises in grills and we both chose steak, the 300g fillet (£35) for him, and 300g sirloin (£26.50) for me. I was gobsmacked by how long we had to wait… the tables alongside us were demolishing course after course while we waited patiently for 45 minutes for our steaks. It was very frustrating, nibbling on crusts trying to keep our hunger at bay.
The staff were incredibly apologetic when the food did finally arrive and rushed to fetch all necessary sauces for us. The meat at ChopHouse is handpicked by George Blackwell from the nearby surroundings of his Heron Farm in Essex. To encourage maximum flavour it is hung on the bone for 28 days. We received beautiful cuts of high quality meat, incredibly flavoursome and cooked to our exact requirements. The accompanying peppercorn sauce was creamy and nicely seasoned. Chips were fat but slightly under cooked, and the green salad came fresh and very dressed.
We made time for a speedy dessert, which arrived promptly after the earlier mishap. A very luxurious, rich and sweet Sticky Toffee Pudding with Jersey clotted cream for me and Cambridge Burnt Cream (a kind of creme brulee) for my brother. Both puddings were tasty but certainly not anything special, perhaps an area of the menu that would benefit from a bit of a revamp.
Wandering back to London Bridge station I admired the surroundings. Butler’s Wharf is a picturesque historic area of London that I’m so glad I have discovered.
Visit the Butler’s Wharf Chop House here for more information and to book.