What’s the draw?
So, London has its fair share of steakhouses. From your Hawksmoors to your Goodmans and everything in between, it can be difficult for a meat palace worth its salt; on which carves out a niche in the Big Smoke. The exception to that rule is Macellaio, an Italian steak restaurant that originally launched in Exmouth Market before establishing an outpost in South Kensington and then dropping into Soho to launch its flagship venue, which has been dubbed ‘Il Teatro Della Carne’ for sporting its very own butcher’s theatre. Perfect for venturing out into one of London’s perennially naughty neighbourhoods, you’ll find the same energy in the dining room, which is wrapped around a horseshoe-shaped bar. You’ll want to sharpen your appetite and maybe file your teeth for some seriously carnivorous fare.
Dining Tables at Macellaio RC Soho
What to drink?
You’re in Soho, so there’s a plethora of top-shelf drinking establishments nearby, but sometimes its best to cut to the chase and post up at the restaurant for a preprandial sharpener. We did exactly this with a brace of Bloody Marys that helped to pave the way for the parade of beef that was to follow. Failing that, there are plenty of classic cocktails on the menu, from Brambles and Campari Spritzes to Cosmopolitans.
What to eat?
Here’s where it really gets interesting. So, we talked about a niche earlier. What really makes Macellaio RC stand out from the rest, its USP, is its Italian beef. All of the cow you’ll eat at the restaurant is sourced from the mountain valleys of North Genoa, where Fassona Piemontese cattle are reared. Famous for their leanness and succulence, they’re one of the prized breeds in the country. We kicked off our meal with focaccia al formaggio – Ligurian flatbread spread pizza-style with stracchino cheese – for an ultra-crispy, creamy foil to the red meat. A steak tartare paid it the ultimate complement, served simply, Italian-style, with olive oil salt and pepper. A rare tranche of Fassona costata followed this, served Fiorentina-style on the bone, a T-bone of tremendous quality, fragrant with the Maillard Reaction on its exterior, as red as magma on the interior. Suffice it to say, we didn’t have room for pudding!
