of sides available to accompany them. As well as the usual suspects of chips (homemade) and onion rings (in sage batter), there are the likes of charred cauliflower with yoghurt and almond, and mushrooms, sautéed with shallots and thyme. ✱ waltersbristolroyal.co.uk
(4) HUDSON
spec, resulting not only in ace quality, but also reliable consistency of the end result. There are seven different cuts on offer at The Ox at the moment: rump, rib-eye, sirloin, fillet, a 30oz T-bone, 30oz bone-in ribeye, and a USDA bavatte steak from Kansas. Not only are the steaks spot on, but the sides are pretty spesh as well: mac and cheese is a popular choice, as is leeks and greens. Over the winter there is an ace sprout side, and during the summer you’ll find gado gado salad (crisp vegetables dressed with warm, spicy peanut sauce). ✱ theoxbristol.com
(3) WALTER’S
You’ll find this bar and grill at the Bristol Marriot Royal on College Green. Named after Walter William Hughes, one of the people responsible for founding the original hotel in the 19th century, the restaurant focuses on good-quality meat, making it worth checking out if you’re in the market for a steak. You’ll be served a cut from Russell Hume, a butcher in Exeter, which supplies the kitchen with its Grangemoor beef; these cows have spent much of their life being left to graze happily on grass, and come from within a 50 mile radius of the restaurant. The meat is hung on the bone for a week, then dry aged for at least 28 days. Walter’s serves three cuts of it – rib-eye, rump and sirloin – and has a good handful
crumbsmag.com
There’s a whopping choice of eight different cuts at Hudson Steakhouse in Bath, all of which come from Smithfield Market – the largest meat market on these here shores. Bath butcher Terry & Son carefully picks Hudson’s produce there, then brings it back to age it for a full 30 days, to make sure it’s to the satisfaction of the chefs. Expect to see flat iron (check out the great-value deal on this cut, 5pm-7pm on weekdays), rump, sirloin, rib-eye, porterhouse, and fillets in 6oz, 8oz and 10oz. The kitchen team say they have a top-secret blend of seasoning (and no, they didn’t steal it from the Colonel) which brings out that lovely earthy flavour in the beef. And to go with whichever hunk of meat you choose? The kitchen team can rustle up some pretty awesome truffle fries, and also make a naughtily creamy Dauphinoise. And a steak wouldn’t be a steak at Hudson without going all out and topping it with juicy grilled garlic tiger prawns... ✱ hudsonsteakhouse.co.uk
(5) RUDGLEIGH INN
This traditional family run inn is set just outside of Bristol in Easton in Gordeno, North Somerset. The cosy, welcoming steakhouse uses local suppliers to source steaks from all over the world – everything from Scottish Black Angus to Australian wagyu and American bison is often found in this kitchen. There are several different cuts on offer, with the most popular, again, being the porterhouse. Whichever you go for, though, each seasoned, grilled steak is served with all the trimmings; thick-cut chips, onion rings, garlic butter ’shrooms, and peas. If that’s not quite enough for you, though, we’d suggest adding the creamed spinach, on recommendation of the team. Really fancy pushing the boat out? Then push it in style with the fillet steak Rossini. This comprises a garlic crouton covered in homemade pâté and topped with a tender 28-day dryaged Scotch fillet steak, smothered with a red wine sauce. ✱ therudgleighinn.com
(6) CHOPHOUSE
There’s no mistaking what the star of the show is at somewhere with this name, right? Bristol’s Chophouse is located right in the centre of the city, at Cabot Circus. It currently serves locally sourced sirloin, rib-eye and rump, but with the new a la carte menu – launching in April – will arrive fillet steak, to make the decision that bit more difficult. At the moment, it’s the rib-eye which boasts the most sales, and the kitchen puts this down to its well-developed flavour and super-tender texture. They grill this bad boy to each customer’s liking, but recommend having it rare to mediumrare, to allow it to reach its full culinary potential. To join it on the plate you have a choice sides and sauces – think peppercorn, mushroom, Stilton or béarnaise. These guys believe that to get the perfect steak, there can be no compromise on the quality of the raw ingredients, and no room for error when it comes to cooking time, either. ✱ futureinns.co.uk
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