Butlers Wharf Chop House

There’s a decidedly nautical feel to this riverside restaurant with its oak panelling and enamelled ship’s pendants. Although the menu pays homage to the watery setting with oysters, potted shrimps and fisherman’s pie, the real draw is slabs of 28-day-aged beef, their juices locked in from the blisteringly hot charcoal grill. The fillets, sirloins, rib-eyes and T-bones all come at a price, with hand-cut chips an extra three quid, but there’s financial relief in more affordable mains such as grilled ox liver with mustard mash and onion gravy, or roast rump of lamb with beetroot, carrot and red-wine sauce. For afters, puddings are in the comforting nursery mould of lemon posset or apple crumble and custard. The adjoining bar is a good spot for a pie and a pint at wallet-friendly prices.

Restaurant group D&D London are determined to bring back the great British chophouse with this addition to Bermondsey’s already-strong dining scene. Overlooking the River Thames, the ethos behind Butlers Wharf Chophouse harks back to a time where meat took centre stage, portions were hearty and provenance was placed at the fore.  

Heading up the grill is head chef Behzad Gotla (previously at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze) who shares the restaurant’s long-standing commitment to great British produce, local suppliers and great-tasting grills. The meat-centric restaurant serves larger cuts made for sharing, and which are cooked over charcoal grills, in josper ovens or on spit roasts. All its meat is sourced from rare-breed dairy cattle that are raised in East Anglia and dry-aged for a minimum of 35 to 40 days before being butchered in house. Each cut can be served alongside a selection of sauces (hello bone marrow and red wine jus) and sides including triple-cooked chips and mac ‘n’ cheese.  

Elsewhere, there are plenty of classic British favourites including a cheeseburger, steak and ale pudding, chicken, leek and mushroom pie and BBQ pork ribs. While the dessert menu is a homage to great British puddings, including a bourbon and coke sticky toffee pudding. Butlers Wharf Chophouse also does roasts on Sundays which must be ordered by a minimum of four people – sharing is caring after all.  

Don’t miss a selection of house cocktails, including a Gardener’s Negroni scented with rosemary, or a Melon Blossom made with peach and orange blossom vodka, lemonade and dried peach. There’s also an extensive wine list that features a range of affordable and fine wines and available by the glass, carafe or bottle.  

Diners can gawk at views of Tower Bridge while they eat, while the décor inside offers a definite nautical theme with wooden surfaces representing boat decking.