14/3/17 - updated with soft launch details
What: Blacklock City
In a nutshell: Chops in the City
Summing it all up: Blacklock, famed for their chops, are coming to the City for their second restaurant. Expect an extended menu with new cuts, starters, and their all-important cocktails in a 100-cover restaurant with reservations available too.
The low-down
Some pretty big news has just landed from Blacklock, London's popular chop and cocktail hawker, and source of massive queues in Soho. They'll be opening a second, much larger branch in the City, making it much easier for carnivores to get their meat fix. And yes (crucially) they’ll be taking reservations.
Blacklock started out in Soho in 2015 led by Gordon Ker, previously at Hawksmoor Knightsbridge and who knows a thing or two about sourcing good meat, working with Cornwall's Philip Warren to get the best for Blacklock. Part-bar, part-basement chophouse, the original restaurant quickly became popular largely due to its simple menu, which comprises mainly of sizzling cuts of meat and cocktails that are equal parts very good and very affordable.
The new City branch will have all of this, as well as a few new cuts and even a handful of new starters. Expect their glorious meaty bread, sixth rib-eye, aged rump cap, maple bacon chop and smoked, roasted chicken in house sauce with Yorkshire pancakes (for mopping up all those lovely juices).
The cocktail bar will stand separately, and wield a bigger menu than the Soho branch, parts of which you’ll also be able to order from the table-side cocktail trolley. Otherwise, they’ll have the usual wine on tap “for those that enjoy their wine by the litre.” Sounds good to us.
The restaurant will seat 100 and - hooray - will offer reservations for both lunch and dinner. As for the place itself, it's on the site of an old electricity substation - but there's a backstory to the site that makes it a perfect match for Blacklock. As Ker discovered, the new place is "slap bang on what used to be London's main meat market in medieval times when butchers' stalls lined both sides of the street". Now THAT's the spot for Blacklock.
More about Blacklock City
Where is it? 13 Philpot Lane, London EC3M 1DE
When does it open? 27 March, 2017. Soft launch - 50% off food - from 27-31 March.
How to book: Email cityreservations@theblacklock.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Twitter @blacklocksoho.
