“London’s Most Sophisticated Steakhouse.”
Cut is housed in an opulent, moody corner of 45 Park Lane – all draped curtains, high ceilings and chandeliers. The crowd is what you’d expect for Mayfair – mostly well dressed, well groomed diners, looking to be seen at London’s most sophisticated steakhouse. We arrive for a late table (9pm) and are shown to our table. Damien Hirst hangs on the wall, the babble of over dinner chat and laughter punctuates the air. The new executive chef at Cut, being named “Jamie Shears” appeals to the infantile strand of my sense of humour; having been here just a few months, Jamie has already changed much of the menu – leaving the classic Wolfgang Puck Dishes on, but adding many of his own – The new “Flour, grain, and sea” section, adding some diversity and seasonality to the formerly meat heavy menu. Jamie Shears very politely came out of the hectic kitchen to say hello, and I asked him a series of boring and uninspiring questions, the most stupid of which being “what is your favourite sandwich?” (his is a Ploughman’s, by the way).
My glass of champagne has no sooner been sipped, than some cheese beignets arrive at our table. I’ve developed a pet hate for uninspiring restaurant bread (if it’s not good I don’t want it, even if it’s free), but these are just perfect. A selection of three more breads arrive (annoyingly they’re all good too), and we order a few oysters whilst we decided on our plates. Full disclosure, I started this particular day with a croque madam from Hide, and then had 2 lunches, forcing me to push this table back by two hours, so my order reflects not being as hungry as I usually am. I enjoyed:
Butter lettuce salad, avocado, stilton champagne-herb vinaigrette. Like I said, I’m not the type to usually order a salad in a place like this. However, this was as full fat and decadent salad as one could imagine. Generous lashings of tangy stilton, with the smooth, soft avocado, cut by an acidic vinaigrette. It’s very delicious – it doesn’t feel like a salad, it doesn’t feel vegetarian, a delicious plate which I’m glad circumstances forced to my table.
Australian Wagyu, filet mignon. It’s worth mentioning this steak costs more than the average person spends on dinner and about twice the amount my mother used to spend feeding a family of 5 for a week. I like my steaks but mostly end up making one of two choices: a ribeye, or something small and expensive (this being the latter). We go for a handful of sides – macaroni cheese, mashed potato, creamed spinach with organic egg (the fried egg and cream somewhat thrawting our feeble attempts to introduce a green vegetable to our plates), peppercorn and bearnaise sauces. How I regretted that second lunch! For the steak was perfect (medium rare with the perfect sear), the mash, was so buttery that I had to resist the urge to spread it on toast, and the macaroni cheese was so deeply delicious, I asked to have the leftovers packed into a doggy bag (currently in my freezer, ready to be defrosted at a time when I’m in need of deep comfort).
I wanted dessert. Every fibre of my being wanted dessert – the mind was willing but the body had collapsed into a pathetic heap, and simply could not manage another bite. I feel I must return to Cut, not just because the food was great – but also to give it a spin on an empty belly.
For one reason or another, it has taken several years for me to finally spend an evening at Cut, and I was not disappointed. A steakhouse can easily be mistaken as a simple thing, but in the cut and quality of the meat, in having nowhere to hide, and in having to impress you with sides you’ve had a thousand times. Cut over delivered on these fronts. What could have been done better? Well, nothing. It’s a beautiful dining room – dim and romantic, or cool and stylish, depending I suppose, on who you’re dining with. Would I return? Absolutely.
Sabrina Goodlife.