MEATliquor W1 is opening in Oxford Circus - with a Poke for Jager button

Gavin Hanly 23 May 2019

The Original MEATliquor W1 relocates just down the road to the Match Bar space

A Hot Dinners exclusive

What: MEATliquor

In a nutshell: Burgers, cocktails and more in W1

Summing it all up: The original MEATliquor relocates to a brand new - and much more permanent - site just 500 metres away from where they first started. Expect the usual dose of burgers, hot-dogs and LOTS of cocktails that have made them such a big hit ever since that first opening.

The low-down

Without a doubt, MEATliquor (and their predecessor, the MEATwagon) have been responsible for London's burgers being, well, actually good. It may be hard to remember a time when that wasn't the case, but they were definitely at the forefront of the burger revolution over the last decade. That and the rise and dominance of "dirty" (but good) food and pretty deadly cocktails too.

All this was encapsulated in the very first (and hugely successful) MEATliquor which opened just behind Debenhams. With a rolling lease, it was never supposed be a long-term restaurant - but they lasted for seven years before moving on (due to development plans for the old car park it was situated in).

But now they're getting ready to open in a brand new space - just down the road. They're taking over the location that's best known for its previous incarnation as Match bar, just off Oxford Circus. And they've quite the change planned - it'll be unrecognisable from its previous space, with a redesign by Shed (you can see a preview of that below).

The emphasis for the new MEATliquor W1 is definitely on the "liquor". Their cocktails have always been lethal, and now they're adding more to the mix. A brand new selection will all be available in either 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 litre sizes - which just sounds dangerous. The new drinks are:

Radlerita - El Jimador reposado, lime juice and agave syrup, served frozen, topped with Steigl grapefruit radler
Cyder Car - Hennesy, Cointreau and lemon juice, topped with Hobo Cider
Hard Shandy - Jack Daniels, ginger syrup, honey syrup and lemon, topped with Brooklyn lager and a sea spray of Lagavulin 16

On top of that - more new cocktails are in the added "Trial Shifts" section:

Muay Thai May Tai - Bacardi 8, Orange and pineapple cuacao, spiced lemongrass and almond syrup, lime and bitters served on the rocks with a Woods 100 overproof float
Bad Temperance - Jack Daniels, Apple liqueur, tamarind, mint and apple juice, served over crushed ice, julep style
Teaser Pleaser - Woodford reserve, apricot brandy, fresh ginger juice, vanilla syrup, lemon juice and bitters, served long topped with soda

If that's not enough booze - each table is coming with a "poke forJäger" button. Because, why not?

Certainly, the proximity to Oxford Circus is very handy indeed - the area is really in need of a decent bar. The new MEATliquor will have a late licence (how late is TBD) and they've also got a stage in this venue too - so expect all manner of entertainment while you booze the night away.

But all that drink doesn't mean missing out on what are still some of the best burgers in town. All the usual favourites will still be here - including the Dead Hippie, Tower Block Burger, The Ripper hot dog, Monkey Fingers, all manner of fries and deep-fried mac and cheese. And that late licence means they'll be serving food until the early hours (until 2am initially and then 3am from 10 June).

So if you find yourself in dire need of a late night/early morning snack - this will be your place to go.

MEATliquor W1