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United Kingdom

Steakhouses in London

London's steak tradition runs from the eighteenth-century beefsteak clubs and chophouses to Simpson's roast beef trolley, and since 2006 to a wave of steakhouses built on dry-aged beef from British native breeds, Argentine grills and Basque asadores serving aged Galician beef.

Grilled beef has been part of London's dining culture since the eighteenth century. The Sublime Society of Beef Steaks, founded in 1735 at Covent Garden Theatre, met weekly around a gridiron under the motto "Beef and Liberty", and the city's chophouses served chops and steaks to clerks and merchants. Simpson's in the Strand, opened in 1828, made roast rib of beef carved from silver trolleys its signature; it closed in 2020 and reopened in March 2026.

The modern steakhouse revival is usually dated to Hawksmoor, which opened in Spitalfields in 2006. Its model, grass-fed beef from British native breeds, dry-aged for 35 days and cooked over charcoal, spread across the city. Native breeds now appear by name on many menus: Longhorn at Hawksmoor, Aberdeen Angus at The Devonshire and The Connaught Grill, Hereford at Lutyens Grill and CUT. Flat Iron (2012) raises its own herd in North Yorkshire, and Blacklock (2015) revived the chophouse with chops from Cornwall.

Imported styles run alongside. Gaucho opened its first Argentine grill on Swallow Street in 1994, followed by smaller parrillas such as Buen Ayre in Hackney (2004), Santa Maria del Sur and Zoilo. Goodman (2008) brought the New York steakhouse with US corn-fed beef. Basque grills such as Lurra, Sagardi and Ibai serve txuleta, bone-in rib from older Galician cows (Rubia Gallega). In the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants 2026, nine London restaurants were listed.

Listed by name, never by payment or score. Facts last verified: 20 Oct 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the beef in London steakhouses come from?

Most British-style steakhouses serve grass-fed beef from British native breeds such as Longhorn, Aberdeen Angus and Hereford, often from named farms in Scotland, Yorkshire, Devon or Cornwall. Argentine grills import beef from Argentina, Basque grills serve aged Galician beef from Spain, and a few restaurants serve US corn-fed or Japanese Wagyu.

What is a London chophouse?

A restaurant serving grilled chops and steaks, a format that spread in the City of London from the late seventeenth century to feed clerks and merchants. Blacklock revived the format in 2015.

How is txuleta cooked?

Txuleta is a thick bone-in rib steak, usually from an older cow, seasoned with coarse salt and grilled over charcoal or wood so the outside is charred and the inside stays rare, around 50 °C / 122 °F. It is sliced and shared at the table.

What is dry-aged beef?

Beef hung uncovered in a cold, ventilated room for weeks, usually 28 to 55 days in London steakhouses. It loses moisture, which concentrates flavour, and its enzymes tenderise the meat.

Related

Argentine parrillaAmerican chophouseBasque asador