London Restaurant Reviews : MeatUp Chelsea

Amidst all the grave news about restaurant closures, when one of your favourite neighbourhood restaurants opens a second branch in a prominent location such as Chelsea, there is definitely a cause for celebration.

The first time we visited MeatUp was way back in 2016 when it first opened its doors in Wandsworth Town. It was one of the first places I wrote about in my blog. Since then we have been back countless times and each time we are there, it feels like home.

The newly opened second branch is a few doors down from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, surrounded by other well established pubs and restaurants such as Farm Girl, Rosa’s Thai and The Goat. It is a lot smaller than its Wandsworth cousin, but smartly uses all the available floor area to create ample covers in various configurations of tables and chairs without impinging on personal space.

The menu, like the original, is split up into sections such as Small Plates, Large Plates and From the Fire.

From the Small Plates section, we ordered the Salmon and Spinach Croquettes (£4.5) which were simply divine and a definite triumph. My original choice of Chicken Wings was unavailable so I settled for the Pork Belly Ribs (£7). Whilst I love a good pork belly, unfortunately this one was sightly overdone in parts, but the fatty bits were delicious.

But let’s face it – we are here for the meat and MeatUp steaks are flipping good.

Both of us ordered the Sirloin (£17 for 8oz) with a surf ‘n’ turf upgrade (£4). All steaks here are served with fries and one of the tastiest, crunchiest house slaws that are out there.

The steak was at par with our expectations – juicy, sumptuous slabs that were perfectly cooked with a heap of juicy prawns on top. The quality of meat here is exemplary – all sourced from their own trusted British suppliers.

Sides such as Seasonal Buttered Greens (£3.5) added a healthy element to the meal.

What’s better than Mac’n’Cheese you say? I would say MeatUp’s Chilli Mac’n’Cheese (£3.5) will soon have its own cult following. There was all that gooey goodness with a hint of gentle heat.

Special mention to the sauce – the Bone Marrow Gravy (£3.5) is the stuff of naughty dreams (the foodie kind) and I can possibly gulp down gallons of that on its own.

As far as steak restaurants go, there is yet another heavyweight on the same street – Sophie’s – that has been there for eons and has garnered its own share of regular diners. Sophie’s is also one of my favourites and I loved their Soho branch during one of my recent visits.

However, I truly believe that this newbie on the block, with its offering of lean and mean steaks and smashing cocktails has the cojones to carve a niche of its own amongst the Chelsea folks. You got our back, MeatUp!