“What many people dislike in principle, I found to be a decent steakhouse in practice.”
I decided to visit the divisive Nusr-Et restaurant in Knightsbridge, that Palace to all things inexplicably decadent, and designed to massage the egos and wallets of dinners eager for a bite of the Salt Bae phenomenon- an otherwise unremarkable cook, who with the help of social media became an overnight star. The London restaurant has attracted a huge amount of press (mostly negative), with the prices provoking something of a public outcry – the implication being that Nusr-Et is “too expensive”. Still, I wanted to see what the fuss was about so booked a table for Monday evening.We started with an oozing burrata with tomatoes and pesto. It was a perfect example of something you may have had 100 times. What’s not to like? On to the next starter, the steak tartare – “Highly Marbled” tenderloin, along with balsamic, mustard, and a few other things, mixed together tableside in an excruciatingly amateur fashion. The quenelles took a very long time to come together, and the whole spectacle was so uncomfortable I could only look at it long enough for me to conclude that without a doubt, if something cannot be done with flair then it should be done back of house. That said, I won’t pretend I didn’t thoroughly enjoy the tartare; not like one I’ve experienced before, a fine tartare with much more fat than you’d expect – which melts on the tongue. It’s flavourful with the hints of acidity and lift you expect from the mustard and gherkin.The steaks soon followed, the Wagyu striploin arriving first, sliced tableside and finished with the famous flourish of salt. This was one of the best steaks I have eaten, Wagyu not just in name (like some) but also in nature – a very high fat percentage, with more marble than the Taj Mahal, so for that reason served medium – this was the perfect cook for this steak that was so rich that 300g was more than enough for two sharing. The Wagyu tenderloin was perfect cooked and of great quality. I’m not sure how I expected the steaks to be, but those I was served were exceptionally tender and close to perfection. We ordered the flower onion, asparagus and grapes, and mushrooms as sides. These were not complicated, and with the exception of the asparagus ends (which were a little woody) very good sides. The onion flower, doing the job a good onion ring would, adding some texture and fun to your fork. The mushrooms were that creamy buttery type that you’d glady spoon onto brioche toast.We finished with dessert, the only one on the menu: baklava and maras ice cream. An enticing dish appears on our table, and a generous slice of baklava that is eased onto a plate tableside. This dessert – a perfect slice of baklava with a milky ice cream to take the edge off, you’d think was impossible to ruin, is for no good reason subjected to a vicious and absurd assault, tableside. The menu advises to “enjoy the show”. The show in question is something that must have been dreamt up after one too many glasses of raki. First, the waiter splits the baklava along the middle laminations, revealing the mossy green of crushed pistachio and syrup. Then, a pre-prepared curl of ice cream is uncurled, tableside (which begs the question, why is it curled in the first place), slapped onto the pistachio layer and squashed into the baklava with the back of a spoon. The top of the baklava is then replaced, (and also squashed down, for no good reason). After this botched round of tableside aesthetic surgery, the whole thing is sliced, or rather chopped vigorously and handed to you, upside down and on a very messy plate. It was like watching a car crash, yet simultaneously hysterical (less hysterical when the bill comes in). It’s a very yummy dessert, just don’t ruin the experience by looking at it.
My observations of Nusr-Et may surprise you: the steaks are of great quality – excellent steaks, both wagyu cuts I tried were exceptionally tender and cooked perfectly. The sides weren’t all faultless but were very good, dessert was delicious. If you picked these plates up, and served them in smaller quantities on the counter of some “sharing concept” restaurant in Soho, splattered with tahini, I doubt anyone reading this would be questioning how delicious the food was. The baklava was significantly better than the one I had at Zahter (the food snobs favourite) not long ago.Where I thought the service would be fun and magical, and the food would be sub standard, my experience was the opposite: the tableside service is embarassing and confused. The tartare was painful to watch, a slow and dull process that might was well have taken place back of house.Most restaurants are assuming the people booking tables know something about the experience and want to dine there. McDonald’s isn’t trying to attract health nuts, Hawksmoor isn’t trying to attract vegans, and it’s likely that Nusr-Et isn’t trying to attract you. This is an ostentatious, camera-phone friendly steakhouse, so with that in mind, the surprise is there are no suprises. There seems little point in complaining about an experience that turns out to be exactly what you knew it would be.On to the real talking point: the prices. My thoughts are very mixed – the people who eat here are not being ripped off. It’s patronising to suggest that if these uncultured fools only knew about Zelman Meats they’d never return to Nusr-Et. Diners here are aware it’s expensive. More affordable options exist, nobody is being forced to visit Nusr-Et, and there is a significant minority of people who don’t want affordable options. People who want to have an expensive dining experience (the way one might want an expensive car), but don’t enjoy fine dining. Options are very limited for this demographic; Nusr-Et is the bright green Lamborghini of restaurants – the engine is good. The aesthetic? That’s a matter of personal choice, but understand that no Michelin Star restaurant is shutting down due to the Nusr-Et effect. The outrage seems unjustified to me – this is a new breed of restaurant that is catering to someone who couldn’t care less about a tasting menu. The restaurant was sill busy at 11pm on a Monday evening when we left. Expect to spend £200 per head, £250+ with alcohol. Our non alcoholic cocktails were £17 each, the steaks were £150 and £85 (but go up to £680), a burger will set you back £50 – they’ve been kind enough to include fries. In short, there are only two people who can afford this place: Jeff Bezos, and Prince Andrews Lawyer.Crucially though, the food is delicious (irrespective of what people think about the marketing, you can’t taste “ideas”). I wouldn’t go back on my own dime, but that’s because I don’t want to remortgage my house a steak dinner, not because it wasn’t a good meal. What many people dislike in principle, I found to be a decent steakhouse in practice. The tableside service and “show” element could be massively improved, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the experience. Your mileage may vary – as may your credit score.Sabrina Goodlife.
