My friend and I got lost one night wandering the streets of Southwark, Borough Market and London Bridge in search of Flat Iron Steakhouse. I hadn’t heard of this UK steakhouse chain but he was keen to try it after researching steakhouses in London. His description sounded similar to my NYC visit to Skirt Steak at the Eventi Hotel so I was intrigued how that would work in London. We finally found the Flat Iron London Bridge location tucked inside a townhouse in the middle of the street. Sadly, for a Saturday night, the wait without a reservation was more than an hour . We didn’t have enough time to wait as I was quite hungry. I was actually quite hangry at the time that my friend needed me to feed me soon to save our friendship so our Flat Iron Steak experience would need to wait until my next visit to London.
Dinner at Flat Iron Steak Clink Street
On my next visit to London, I happened upon the Borough Market Flat Iron next to the Clink Prison Museum near the Thames path as I walked to Borough Market. How did we miss this easy to find location the first time? I blame the many pre-dinner drinks at multiple pubs. As I was staying nearby at the Bankside Hilton, I would circle back later for dinner at 7pm figuring for a Tuesday I could walk in without a reservation. I was correct but next time won’t take the risk of showing up without a reservation as the small restaurant was packed on a Tuesday night. The kind host showed me to the empty communal table that would normally seat up to six guests. He moved a plant between me and the next set of seats in case he needed the space. The décor is warm woods, plants mixed in with historic brick building touches and modern lighting features. It’s one of my favorite things about London restaurants, how small spaces can utilize the design, décor and environment so well. There’s not an inch of wasted space. It’s a place you want to stay for a while to share stories and laughs with friends.
When seated, I was provided a mug of freshly popped popcorn which was a nice surprise as I like popcorn but to be honest it was a bit weird for London. I wasn’t sure how popcorn connected to the steak theme. The menu offered drink options on both sides with the mains and sides in the middle. Given that the star of the show is the flat iron steak, the reason for my visit, it was nice to see a few other options for bigger appetites (sirloin) or smaller appetites (burger). I looked at the other tables and the flat iron steak on the cutting board was the popular choice naturally for a place named Flat Iron Steak. I added a side of fries (chips), peppercorn sauce and a glass of Rioja.
I was barely through the mug of popcorn when my food arrived ten minutes after I ordered. I laughed at the “fast food” nature of this but having worked in restaurants I can understand if you make only one entrée then it’s basically plating the steak at the right temperature and pair it with sides. Wait times are instantly slashed with the assembly line in the small kitchen.
The presentation was lovely on the cutting board accompanied by a butcher knife which to be honest wasn’t needed as the tender steak cuts were easy to eat in one bite. And with that one bite I instantly realized why this is such a popular restaurant. The flat iron steak was flavorful and I hesitated to even add the peppercorn sauce. The flat iron steak was a good-sized portion leaving me satisfied with my meal. I do wish there was a chocolate dessert option to finish off the wine and end the meal on a sweet note but sadly they do not have a dessert menu as they offer a unique takeaway option.
Flat Iron Steak Solo Dining Costs
When the check arrived a small silver knife charm was provided. Flat Iron Steakhouse uses the butcher knife as their logo and even sell the knives if you fancy a souvenir (if flying international long-haul check with your airline to confirm that the knives can be packed in your checked luggage and brought through customs/immigration at home). Once you pay the bill, you can exchange the charm with the host for a takeaway soft serve vanilla ice cream cone. The host/hostess not only seat you with popcorn but thanks you for your visit by providing ice cream and who doesn’t love ice cream? Ok, I love ice cream but sadly as I’m lactose intolerant, I had to give my charm back and decline the delightful dessert.
My dinner totaled £31.60 inclusive of service charge which at the fx of 1.27 at the time translates to $40.15 US. A reasonable amount given that the glass of wine was £10 as I chose the most expensive red and the flat Iron steak entrée was £13 at the time of my visit. I could have saved by choosing the house red if I wanted to.
Now let’s compare to being at home in Philadelphia. I priced out a Flat Iron entrée at a local restaurant ($39), a glass of red wine ($16) and a side of vegetable or fries ($10). The estimate is $65 before local taxes (10% on liquor and 7% sales tax on food), credit card fees (3.5%) will add even more to the bill before I add a 20% tip. Rough estimate of $88.65 for my meal at home before the $25-30 parking fee. So. my dinner at Flat Iron Borough Market was a great deal when compared to my home options.
When I arrived back at my hotel, I made a reservation using the Walkup app for my next visit to Flat Iron Borough Market so my friend and I could get a do-over of the debacle of our first attempt. We wouldn’t have to wait and could be guaranteed the Flat Iron steak experience.
Friday Night Dinner at Flat Iron Borough Market
I would return to Flat Iron Borough Market on Clink Street two weeks later at the end of my vacation. I met my friends and we walked from the pub to the restaurant with me leading the way down the side streets to Clink Street for our 7pm reservation at Flat Iron Borough. Friday night was busier than the Tuesday visit. The host welcomed us and I asked about my friend joining us as we were now a party of three. He said “no problem” and led us to a small table. He showed me the original cozy table in the corner for next time. I quickly learned that my friends, English & Australian, don’t like popcorn (the UK is definitely a crisps country). The food arrived just as quickly as my first visit which surprised my friends. Our table of three enjoyed two flat iron steaks, one sirloin special, a few sides of chips and multiple steak sauces. Adding glasses of the house red and few pints of cider and we were all happy campers that night.
Final Thoughts – Dinner at Flat Iron Steak London
Flat Iron Steakhouse has been quickly growing in London and beyond (at last count they had more than ten locations). It’s an affordable steak dinner with a great experience beginning to end. I’ll be back soon for my third visit as we’ve added this to our “approved London steakhouses”. For me, London is all about finding what you love (a pub, hotel, neighborhood, restaurant, etc.) and going back time and again for a consistent and rewarding experience. We loved Flat Iron Borough and will definitely return.