REVIEW: MRBL

14 hours ago
2 min read

Is this London’s Best New Steak Restaurant?

MRBL is as difficult to pronounce as it is to leave - but who needs vowels, when they serve some of the best steaks in London?

Fittingly, the capital’s hottest new steak restaurant has launched in Leadenhall’s former meat market, among the cobbled walkways, ornate Victorian facades and Harry Potter fans, eagerly capturing the movie’s Diagon Alley location.

Our expectations are high on arrival, because Executive Chef Matt Colk is at the helm, and we’ve experienced his alchemy with fire and meat at Canary Wharf’s former Fish Game restaurant.

The dark and moody, 75 cover restaurant spans two floors and its opulent interiors echo the ox blood reds, browns, and olive greens of the dishes.

It has an outdoor terrace overlooking the buzzing market, a private dining room and serene ground floor space where we settle in, drinking in the smells of sizzling cuts over charcoal.

We begin with a perfect steak tartare. Hand cut, dry aged beef, topped with a shimmering, orange yolk, crispy shallots and fabulous, acidic bites of capers with each mouthful, served with toasted focaccia.

We also share/fight over the prawns, grilled over charcoal for a succulent, tender texture and smoky flavour, which pairs beautifully with the fermented chilli.

We wash these down with the Daq & Stormy cocktail for me - refreshing, not too sweet, and with a fiery kick - and the City Slicker for my friend, a sweet and fruity combo of gin, raspberry, cranberry, rose and Crémant.

A smooth bottle of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo arrives, heralding the arrival of our generous, 200g cut of tender, buttery fillet tail.

With a smoky, caramelised exterior from its charcoal kiss and a pink inside so silky, our gnashers glide through, this sweet and salty cut knocks the socks off many of its rivals.

Meat is supplied by the award-winning HG Walter, responsibly sourced from native, grass-fed breeds. Each cut is aged with Himalayan salt before being cooked over charcoal for maximum flavour.

We must also mention the life-changing shallot and bone marrow sauce - unctuous, gravy-like and packed with velvety and rich wine, marrow and onion flavours. You absolutely must order this, although their béarnaise is also excellent.

This is accompanied by a wonderfully nutty and juicy, charred hispi cabbage in burnt chilli butter, along with their signature, beef fat triple cooked chips.

Creamed spinach is the law with good steak, and that is non-negotiable. MRBL’s offering is pleasingly creamy with salty parmesan, garlic and nutmeg flavours.

Approaching the need to loosen belts, we have just enough space for dessert - these arrive in the comforting shape of classic puds, apple pie and a zingy burnt lemon tart.

Many will be glad they can’t pronounce MRBL’s name, because it’s a meaty secret they’ll want to keep to themselves. But judging by those steaks, that will be an impossible task.

MRBL, 23-25 Leadenhall Market, London EC3V 1LR