When MEATLiquor opened late last year, it quickly became a foodie phenomenon. Critics and plebs alike chimed in unison at the standard of the food, from the meaty goodness of it’s house burgers and ribs to the killer cocktails and near-deafening rock music playing overhead
Okay, maybe not the last bit – but you can see where I am going with this. The New York-style burger joint enjoyed a universally positive reception with one minor niggle – the notorious no-reservation policy that seemed to be endemic in most foodie hotspots at the beginning of the year (Polpo, Burger and Lobster etc.) That didn’t stop those meat-evangelists though, as even on the bleakest winter night, you’d find a sizable queue snaking around the back of Oxford Street. That’s some serious dedication.
When I heard that a sister restaurant – MEATMarket – was due to open a few weeks I ago, I expected much of the same. Overlooking the Jubilee Market Hall in bustling Covent Garden, it was also primed for some serious business. When I visited the spot last Friday, it was exactly what it was tipped to be. Branded to the nines, you still got all the quality and flavour of some pretty amazing meat numbers without needing to sharpen your elbows into the queue.
Granted, the take-away ethos of MEATMarket might have diluted a bit of the grit and glamour of its elder sibling – but if you want a proper burger fix and (more importantly) want it quickly, it’s well worth the visit.
MEATMarket Jubilee Hall, 1 Tavistock Court, The Piazza, Covent Garden, London, WC2
