With a pared-back, modern dining room, the focus at Bar + Block is very much on the food, and primarily the steak. Steak, this small chain restaurant says, is a religion and meat fiends might be forgiven for thinking all their prayers had been answered in this carnivore-centric site.
While the menu does cater for plant-based eaters, it primarily focuses on various servings of beef. Steaks are prepared on site and cuts change regularly depending on what’s best at market on any given day. Meat is selected from British and Irish Angus breeds in the pursuit of that all-important marbling. With a minimum of 30 days maturation process, each piece is prized for its high-quality, and prepared by hand by the on-site chefs. All steaks are served with samphire and a choice of sauces as well as salad or beef dripping, triple-cooked chips.
A robust selection of burgers is also on offer here, showcasing the handmade and hand ground patties that the team are famous for. A must try is the house special – the Mighty Block Burger – which comes with melted mature cheddar cheese sauce, crispy onions, pulled beef brisket, burger sauce and a pickled cucumber. All of that comes squashed into a buttery brioche bun and is served alongside a healthy portion of fries.
Vegetarians are given the choice of dishes like cauliflower ‘wings’ in a herb batter and a vegan sloppy Joe burger which comes topped with a soya vegan sloppy Joe mix. When Sunday rolls around there’s a regular roast (both meat and veggie), and during the week there’s a bargain all-day menu served 11.30am-5pm that the team guarantee will get to you in 10 minutes – perfect for a working lunch. Options here include steak frites, buttermilk chicken or a beef burger as well as a selection of heartily filled gourmet sandwiches.