The Grill on the Market is a revamp of the old Smithfield Bar and Grill. Equally suited for a large party with raucous colleagues, a few quick after work cocktails or even a quiet date, it’s a smart causal setting for what seems to have become de rigueur dining for so much of London: quality cuts of beef along with some seafood washed down with lots of booze.
Keen to keep abreast of the restaurant scene around my old stomping ground around Clerkenwell, I’d been meaning to give The Grill a go for a few months. Finally sorting out a date to visit, my experience was rather more hit or miss than I would have preferred. Nevertheless, I left content and confident to recommend this restaurant to a variety of folks seeking a safe bet for a range of palates.
I would be remiss in this review if I didn’t mention a few foibles. Between my dining companion and me, we had to choose three different starters before the kitchen could accommodate us. Just before 8pm on a Friday night, they already had run out of at least these three starters from their regular menu: oysters, calamari and mussels. The oysters and mussels I could maybe understand, but I was surprised about the calamari. The same thing happened when it came time to order dessert.
Oh well. It was mildly annoying but hardly ruined the evening. Besides, I got the sense that running out of core menu items wasn’t an everyday occurrence. The gracious manager came to our table to explain that, as the evening was the first weekend dinner of the new year after an especially successful festive season, her staff hadn’t quite got back to their usual running speed. I guess I could sympathize.
The good news was that such initial disappointment presented an opportunity for me to try the garlic king prawns with crusty bread (£9), and I thoroughly enjoyed that dish as my starter. Heck, I’d order it again. I must say that our especially apologetic and really friendly server did a great job suggesting alternatives and attempting to accommodate our tastes.
Ordering our mains was a more fluid approach. I went with something from the January “Best of British” special menu, a 312g rib eye cut of Charolais (£29) with a side of particularly tasty hand cut chips (£3.25) with some more than decent Hollandaise sauce and a herb and mixed leaf salad (£3.50).
Steaks are supposedly the “main event” at The Grill, which makes sense considering the place is across the street from Smithfield Market. The restaurant takes pride (and makes a big deal about) sourcing “the finest premium beef, hung for a minimum of 28 days before being separated into cuts.” So, my hopes were high and – I’m happy to report – deliciously met. My rib eye was cooked perfectly as I’d requested (medium rare) and was actually one of the better chunks of meat I’ve had in quite a long while. I was completely satisfied with every last bite of it.
A bottle of La Serre Merlot (£20) far from blew me away but paired well enough with my starter and my main. With a little more thought and perhaps a bit more budget, I’m sure I could have found a wine with more wow factor from the list of 100 plus varieties.
The vibe in the dining area was cool. There was a bit of a buzz but nothing too insane. The seating area is attractive and comfy (if rather dark). Walking through the bar to our table, it seemed like a pretty happening spot for drinks. There was live entertainment from a pianist most of the evening, which I thought was a nice touch. As I understand it, there’s live music here every night. Still I was able to have a conversation with my dining buddy without having to raise our voices or repeat ourselves too much.
The Grill on the Market is located at 2-3 West Smithfield, EC1A 9JX. If you plan to visit, making a reservation is advisable. It was booked solid during my visit. Apparently, there are seven other sister Grill restaurants in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and beyond. For more info, go to blackhouse.uk.com/restaurant/london-smithfield/.
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