Warning! If you are a vegetarian, turn away now…
Now, with that out-of-the-way, let’s talk meat! Charred, juicy, amazing cuts of meat. Beef, pork, lamb…all the good bits, the fat bits, the parts that make your mouth explode with excitement at every bite you take. Well, that restaurant would be Blacklock.
Located just two blocks from the Piccadilly Line in London, you might just get a bit turned off by the amount of tourists and typical chain venues on the walk there. But, as you pass by the unassuming door with the small lettering, venture in and down the stairs, and you will find a must try destination awaiting you there. Large tables invite you to share, a must with the amount of meat you will be consuming.
We began our experience with the £5 cocktails that they offer. I had an Old Fashioned and Hilcia had the house recommended Grandma’s Lemonade, both absolutely delicious and wonderfully strong.
Next, we opted to start with the “smaller” portion pork chop as our appetizer. Forget about ordering any carb type items here and go straight for the meat gold. We weren’t disappointed. Perfectly charred, just the right amount of fatness and every bite leaving us with a desire for more.
As we waited for the main course, we ordered another round, and started to feel ourselves getting lost in our surroundings. Great drinks, great music and great vibes will do that to you. At our table arrives food gold…850 grams of pure prime rib, cooked to perfection, beautifully sliced and calling us to do it justice. although our bellies told us to proceed slowly, our mouths and appetites disobeyed. We consumed every ounce of juicy tenderness, sucking on every bit of charred bone.
It was absolutely the best meat we have both ever eaten!
In fact, we could not resist the call of deliciousness and followed up our incredible meal by returning the following night! Only this time, we went even bigger and ordered the sharing course that has beef, lamb and pork cuts of every type. Our mouths thanked us, our bellies not so much! But, well worth it!
After getting our carnivorous fix, we decided to change it up and go with a completely different dinner the next night. We searched around and landed on another venue just a short walk away, in the Chinatown area, Opium. Definitely, don’t forget to reserve a table here if you want to avoid any line, as this place is on the Hot List.
Super cool vibe, great music and multiple levels only enhanced the wonderful experience…
An amazing cocktail menu, and with so many choices, we decided to ask our server for a recommendation. We landed on the cool Chinese zodiac house drinks. I chose my sign, the Snake, while Hilcia chose the Rabbit for hers…both fantastic and amusing. Next, we added the house sharing dim sum assortment. Pork buns, moist shrimp and pork dumplings, veggie and prawn perfectly steamed, perfectly presented, perfectly delicious.
So, sometimes, all it takes is a little trust and detective work to find the true hidden gems within the maze and noise of the path well-worn by the tourist masses and ugly chain venues. Both Blacklock and Opium are just two of those little beauties that can be found among the amazing London Scene.
My only disappointment was that I wish we had more time to further discover, indulge and imbibe….
For more info, check them both out here:
LOCAL | yetnot 
