Steak
The fire is the centre of this kitchen. Head Chef David Reyes works with Scottish beef dry-aged for 28 days, cooked over live flame, rested properly and served without ceremony.
Sirloin, 10oz, £33. Fillet, 6oz, £39. Rib eye, 12oz, £45. A beef rib at £29 with celeriac and truffle purée and a red wine jus. And Jacob's Ladder for two, if you want the kitchen to show off.
Sides that earn their place: truffle and parmesan chips, chunky chips, grilled vegetables.
Beef carpaccio with rocket, parmesan and balsamic. Beef tartare with shallot, capers, tabasco and a quail egg yolk. Pan-fried scallops. Maldon rock oysters, which are £1 each at the bar on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The wine list is put together by Head Sommelier Maurizio Titone and leans towards growers who farm well, with plenty by the glass. Tell the team what you have ordered and they will find the right bottle.
The rest of the full menu is not an afterthought. Whole fish, cod with beurre blanc, char-grilled tuna, truffle tagliatelle, and a vegetarian and vegan selection people order by choice.
The seven-course tasting menu on Friday and Saturday evenings also finishes on the dry-aged beef.
25 Sheldon Square, Paddington Central, London W2 6EY, on the terrace above the Grand Union Canal. A short walk from Paddington Station, five minutes from Paddington Basin, about eleven from Edgware Road and twenty from Marble Arch. Full directions.
