Rare find for a steak out
Beef bashing seems to be fashionable these days. With mad cow disease a not so distant memory and the recent demise of a few steak-house chains, the humble steak seems to be on the verge of extinction.
So, I was surprised to find a booming, unpretentious little temple of beef worship in the heart of suburban Hammersmith. The Popeseye Steak House, which has been packing them in for nine years, is a cavern of carnivorous delight. Business is so brisk that a branch has opened in Putney.
My companion for the evening was Janet Street-Porter, who is a notorious latecomer. I decided to arrive on time to take notes. The dining room is small, simple and a little boring, with polished-wood floors and spindly chairs. The awning, door, checked tablecloths, napkins and server's aprons are all blood-red.
I spend the first 10 minutes perusing the menu at a table in front of the kitchenette. I call it a kitchenette because the only cooking equipment on the premises consists of a turbo grill and chip fryer.
The menu is simple. Basically, you can have steak and chips, although there is an optional side salad for £3.45. The steak is far from bog standard. We are talking about 100 per cent grass-fed Aberdeen Angus, delivered daily from the Scottish Highlands. It is hung for a minimum of two weeks to give it a distinctive flavour.
Janet has still to arrive, so I scan the impressive list of red wines. My request for a good-value, full-bodied fruity red is fulfilled with a Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Cailloux 1998 (£38). It has a robust bouquet and is smooth, with a fruity finish.
Janet arrives 20 minutes late and we order almost immediately. There is a choice between three cuts of beef: rump (most flavour), sirloin (most fat) and fillet (most tender). Sizes range from a baby 6oz to a whopping 30oz. I choose a 12oz medium-rare rump steak (£17.45) while Janet goes for a rare 12oz sirloin (£20.45).
Our salads arrive straight away; mixed greens, sliced tomato and a vinaigrette that needs more zip. But when our steaks hit the table, a chorus of angels breaks into song. The meat is perfectly cooked and staggeringly delicious. A tray of accompanying mustards and sauces arrives; although the steak is so flavourful you don't need them.
We agree that these are among the best steaks we have eaten. The chips are thick cut, golden brown and fluffy on the inside. I am a bit of a size queen where chips are concerned, preferring the smaller shoe-string variety. But these chunky fellas prove to me that bigger can definitely be better.
There are four puddings on offer - sticky toffee, apple crumble, chocolate brownie and white chocolate cheesecake. I opt for the sticky toffee (£4.95). It is dry, wedged into a ramekin and the toffee coating is too granular. Janet goes for the farmhouse cheeses (£5.25), which she feels are too cold.
It is not the kind of restaurant you would choose for a hot first date or a business dinner. But if you aren't fussy and want to enjoy one of the best steaks in London with a mate, then it is well worth a visit.
