Ibai

This barnstorming Basque grill is the brainchild of premium Spanish meat supplier Txuleta and ex-Chiltern Firehouse exec chef Richard Foster, who together bring elite meat and technical prowess to a cobbled square in Farringdon. Considering its City location and anti-social opening hours (Monday to Friday), Ibai appears to be aimed at London's well-heeled business folk, but the restaurant feels anything but corporate. Actually, it’s bursting with intention and warmth, from relaxed, jovial staff who greet you at the door, to the literal glow of the wood-fired grill that flickers away in the open kitchen all day.

The dining room is large without feeling cavernous, thanks partly to being painted a rich shade of chocolate brown. It's filled with cosy leather booths, dark wooden tables, white tablecloths and large silver pipes that bring a touch of ‘industrial cool’ to its smart, bistro aesthetic.

Come here for the steak because it truly is some of the best in the capital. Tender slivers of Black Angus sirloin are cooked until blushing, each piece supremely juicy from the obvious currents of fat that run through the meat. Once you’ve had steak like this, you’ll never go back. This comes with crisp French fries and a garlicky herb sauce. There are other non-beefy, flame-licked grills on the menu that are extremely good, too, including spatchcocked, blackened poussin in a citrus and espelette pepper jus which we end up crushing our chips into. We finish with a slice of Gateau Basque which is a bit like an almond torte with velvety, vanilla-specked creme patissiere running through the middle. Oh, it’s good.

More good things include a mountain of crisps layered with salty cured ham and Padron peppers, meaty slivers of anchovy swimming in glossy extra virgin olive oil, and bright, al dente peas and broad beans cooked with sweet, truffle cream.

It might be in the heart of City-land, but Ibai is made for foodies, and well worth seeking out for Basque cooking at its best. 

The latest addition to Farringdon's thriving food scene, Ibai is a Basque-focused steak restaurant headed up by Richard Foster, former head chef of Mayfair’s Chiltern Firehouse. The 80-cover restaurant is located in a converted warehouse between the Barbican and St Paul’s Cathedral with an industrial decor that will transport you straight to Bilbao’s rejuvenated docks, or perhaps the stormy Cantabrian Sea. Of course, you’ll find Gateau Basque and marmitako (Basque fish stew) on the menu.

After the rise of Spanish Basque cuisine in London (the team behind Ibai also founded Lurra and Donostia), Ibai is notable for its focus on French Basque dishes on its menu. Standout dishes include king crab rice, grilled poussin, Ibai's take on the croque monsieur featuring carabinero prawns, black pudding, and Tomme de Brebis (Pyreneean hard cheese), and 'guisante lagrima' teardrop peas, another Basque Country delicacy.

However, the star of the show is undoubtedly the Galician blonde beef steak, since Ibai's owners, Nemanja Borjanovic and William Sheard, are the ones originally responsible for importing this unique Northern Spanish breed to the UK through their beef importing business Txuleta. Importantly, Galician blonde cattle are former dairy cows slaughtered after eight or even 10 years, rather than the usual two or three, so expect a deep texture and high fat content in your Ibai steak. Worry not if you’re often intimidated by overly detailed steak menus - Borjanovic has also expressed a commitment to simplicity in ordering, offering only one size option for each steak (excluding the wagyu, which has three sizes available). 

High end yet also unpretentious, Ibai is the perfect introduction to a side of Basque cuisine somewhat removed from pintxos and bacalao, with a welcome focus on quality ingredients presented in an accessible manner.