Friday lunchtime at Goodman City
What do we need to know about Goodman?
This well-respected boutique restaurant group has three places in London. The first to open was their Mayfair restaurant in 2008 followed by branches in the City and Canary Wharf. The team here were also responsible for launching Burger & Lobster and Beast in Mayfair. George Bhukov, one of the original directors, is now running Wild Tavern in Chelsea while his colleague Dave Strauss is one-half of Bouchon Racine. So you could say that Goodman has been quite the launchpad for good London restaurants.
But this is about Goodman City?
It is. The second to open in the group, this restaurant debuted on Old Jewry in 2010. For those of you who like a bit of London history look out for the plaque on the wall outside which shows that this was roughly the site of the Great Synagogue of London until 1272. As the name suggests, it's right in the heart of the City, a stone's throw from the Bank of England with Bank being the closest tube station.
Why visit now?
Really, why not - particularly if you love a good martini and steak lunch as much as we do. Despite being long-time fans of the Mayfair Goodman, we'd somehow never made it to the City branch. Plus, we were intrigued to see what the Friday lunchtime scene was now that everyone appears to be working just Tuesday to Thursday in the office.
And was it busy?
Actually, it was doing pretty good trade - there were lots of groups out for the kind of proper Friday lunch that moves seamlessly into the afternoon. We particularly liked our booth over on the right-hand side of the dining room which would be perfect if you need a bit of privacy for any discussion.
Kicking off with a drink
There's a separate bar area if you just fancy catching up with a friend or colleague over a bottle of Californian red or are here for a solo lunch. The cocktail menu is well worth a go if you don't have to head back to the office afterwards. We had an exemplary martini and this...
Popcorn Old Fashioned (£14) - Popcorn and butter infused Buffalo Trace with Angostura Bitters
So what kind of food can we expect?
We'll get to the main event in a moment, but here's what we had to start:
Prawn tempura with avocado, chipotle and Gochujang mayo (£16) - huge prawns in perfect tempura batter
Bluefin tuna tartare with oyster dressing, avocado, jalapeno and a cracker (£26) - superb quality tuna with a good kick.
But really, it's all about the steak here, yes?
Steak is the main focus here and they take it very seriously, from the relationships they have with farmers in the Lake District and Nebraska to the dry ageing rooms that feature in every Goodman restaurant. If the arrival of the blackboard with today's cuts on it gets you a little befuddled over sizes, the waiter has a handy aide-memoire in the form of a plate of actual raw steaks. These will show you the cut and rough size so you can make your decision accordingly.
A guide plate to show you cuts and sizes of steaks
On our visit, there were five main types of British beef on offer - Luing (a Highlands breed we hadn't come across before), Hereford, Angus, Belted Galloway and Chateaubriand. In addition to that, there was Galician beef and a range of cuts of USDA beef from Nebraska. We opted for a taste test of two bone-in ribeyes, Belted Galloway from the Lake District and Nebraskan USDA, to try the difference between grain-fed and grass-fed beef.
Both were obviously perfectly cooked - we went medium so there was a decent char - but that grass-fed British steak pipped the USA version for us.
The two steaks with a whole lot of sides - Friday lunch done right.
What about the sides?
These are particularly good, from the truffle chips to the Josper-roasted onions and green beans with Parmesan crumb. And obviously, you'll want a range of sauces too from bearnaise to stilton.
Room for dessert?
We fully intended to swerve dessert after all that meat, but when faced with these two choices on the dessert menu we felt compelled to order them.
Goodman cheesecake with mixed berry compote and raspberry coulis (£8) - a staple of the dessert options that's been on the menu here since day 1.
Honeycomb parfait with banana sorbet (£7) - one of those desserts that you start out by saying 'just one spoonful more' and end up surprised to find you've practically licked the plate clean.
Presumably, the wine list is worthy of attention?
It really is - particularly when you know that it's one of the few restaurants in London to be pouring Petrus by the glass. We enjoyed a fabulous bottle of a special Goodman wine, their exclusive Cabernet Sauvignon in association with Californian winemakers Benevolent Neglect (£56 a bottle). The wine list focuses on American wines; just under £5k will get you a very nice bottle of 2013 Screaming Eagle. But you can also enjoy a 2020 Pinot Noir from Oregon for £65. Plus they have a Coravin system if you fancy something special by the glass.
Sounds like somewhere to go with a group - is there a private dining room?
Yes, and it's a pretty special one if you work with a bunch of carnivores as the private dining room here looks directly into the dry ageing room.
Got a business meeting or special occasion you're celebrating? The PDR here is perfect for meat lovers.
Overall thoughts:
Our overall thoughts after lunch here were wondering why it had taken us so long to return to Goodman. There's always been a reason we reckoned they offered some of the very best steak in London and this return trip served to confirm that - it's a truly wonderful steakhouse experience.
More about Goodman City
Where is it? 11 Old Jewry, London EC2R 8DU
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @goodman_london
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Goodman. Prices correct at time of publication.
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