Smokestak

Located in Shoreditch, an artsy London neighborhood with lots of bars, restaurants and many, many hipsters, Smokestak is hidden away in a dark building, cooking up some of the best BBQ in the city.

When walking in through the giant, heavy steel entry door, you immediately see the centre piece of the restaurant: the kitchen, a large open space with industrial looking equipment and barbecues, where the kitchen team is grilling up some of the most delicious food we have ever had.

The restaurant is not overly big and as it is really popular, it is absolutely necessary to book your table ahead of time. There are also a couple of seats available at the bar, where you can sit and enjoy your food while watching the bartenders prepare some delicious cocktails. I can recommend the rhubarb sour.

The menu is small, but even vegetarians will leave this place more than satisfied, as they also have a couple of veggie options. The star of the show however is their meat, smoked in house over hours, to serve some of the best pieces of meat we have ever eaten in our life.

I recommend starting off with crispy ox cheek pieces. Breaded and fried golden brown, these little bite size pieces are filled with the most tender goulash-like ox cheek, which is incredibly creamy and savory at the same time. They have a more pronounced taste than beef but it is not overbearing and it is served with a refreshing, salty anchovy mayo to contrast the flavors.

One of my personal favorites are the salt baked beet roots with goat cheese and roasted hazelnuts. This dish is so well-balanced flavor and texture-wise with the earthy beets, the creamy goat cheese and the smoky, crispy hazelnut. A great vegetarian option but also a great side dish to share for meat lovers.

I love brisket. It is a tender piece of meat, yet fully cooked through, so it is perfect for me as a picky meat eater. However, at Smokestak, they have blown this thing out of the park. I have always wondered how fat could be like butter melting in your mouth. After visiting Smokestak and having some of their brisket, you will understand. Smoky, perfectly fork tender brisket, which still holds its shape, is served with a big portion of acidic BBQ sauce and pickled chilies. This is probably the best piece of meat I have ever had in my life.

Another highlight and Chris' favorite are the dry-aged beef ribs. Served rib-on, this full-flavored piece of meat pretty much falls of the bone. It also is the priciest menu item but it is absolutely worth it. The crust, glazed with BBQ sauce, the tender, savory meat with a nice smoke ring and not to forget the little crispy bits left on the bone, you will not leave a single piece of this behind on your plate!

If you wanna know and see more, check out Food Busker's video, you will for sure be craving some of these ribs afterwards!

Even after you have feasted on starters and mains, you should not put off getting one of their desserts. The grilled, caramelized peaches with ricotta ice cream and thyme was a beautifully balanced dessert with just the right amount of sweetness and freshness to balance out the savoriness of the meat.

The restaurant is a rather dark, smoky, loud and bustling place, where drinks and food are served as soon as they are ready. So, this is not your chill, laid-back place to sit down and have a good chat. You get in, enjoy some amazing food and drinks and get out. It can be really loud inside; however, you will be too busy marvelling at the amazing food in front of you that you will end up completely forgetting to have a meaningful conversation.

If we could only recommend one single restaurant in London, it would be this one. It is not the most extravagant food experience but the dishes which are put in front of you are simply amazing. You will be blown away by the flavors and textures of the different dishes and each time I am disappointed I could not try out more. So, we absolutely recommend to share as many dishes as a group as you can. I would also love to try their fish or their vegetarian main, which was a roasted aubergine this time around.

Whether you are a BBQ lover or not, you will leave this restaurant full and satisfied and asking yourself, how any other meat restaurant or steakhouse will ever be able to compare to this place. Smokestak is a must-eat in London!