Contents
If you like
grilledMeat, you must visit Smokestak in London.
Restaurant Details
Average Price per person (no alcohol): $20-35
Address: 35 sclater st. london. e1 6lb
Website: https://smokestak.co.uk/
Telephone: +44 020 3873 1733
Date Visited: 20th December 2019
This place was very recommended by some of my closest friends. they know me and they know I like meat, so when I told them I will be passing by London they said you need to try Smokestak.
Place
It is located in Shoreditch, not far from London Bridge and the Tower of London. It is decorated like some sort of warehouse on wood and iron. This place is popular so if you want to make sure you get a table you should book. You can do it here.
The cutlery is looking old, seems to have been washed thousands of times and is full of scratches. The plates are made out of plastic, yes they are! I was a bit shocked at the beginning and had to knock it to double-check it.
The tables are small and the dining room is quite packed with tables and chairs. Is not easy to reach your table or leave it.
Another thing that caught my attention is that is quite smokey inside, despite having a large exhausting system. When it was full, it literally was like being next to a huge barbecue.
Service
We had a booking and we were warmly welcomed by the staff even if we were late (due to the crazy traffic in London). We had one extra guest that they kindly accommodated, finding a bigger table.
They do not have a wardrobe and considering the size of the dining room, this is a bit of a problem. That said they kindly found a place for our daughter’s stroller.
The service was kind and fast, I would say super fast. It seems that most of the meats are already grilled in the morning or in the case of the brisket they are grilling it for many hours.
They speak several languages and there was some really fun Argentinian waiter who recommended us what to order. They dress casually, in black, they were also flexible to find something to eat for our daughter even if is not precisely a place for kids.
Food
The menu here is not big, but I don’t think this is a problem at all. Whatever we tried we liked it and there are some serious meat platters here.
Brisket bun with chillis. The bun seems homemade. It is not very bready but more like a soft bun bread. The beef brisket is simply a masterpiece, tender as butter, tasty, it doesn’t even have a sauce but you don’t miss it. Some fresh red chillies are in the sandwich. This is a must-try in Smokestak. In fact, if I manage to come back I might only have few brisket buns 🤪
Mains
Beef Brisket with jacked potato. The brisket seems to be the same they use for the buns, so everything is said. The dish comes served with two slices of brisket and some sort of chimichurri sauce. If something I find the size of the portion of the limit of being small. For the side, we ordered a jacked potato. The Potato’s is crunchy outside, roasted in the oven Wich gives you a nice crunchy bite. Inside it is cheesy and buttery. I finished a whole big one myself, it was lovely.
Brisket with chillies and chimichurri? 
Beef Brisket with spicy sauce Jacked Potato with melted inside
Mushrooms on a toast. We ordered this for my daughter as she likes mushrooms. The dish was served with 2 slices of rustic toasted bread and sauteed mushrooms on top. The girl loved it, the mushrooms were really tasty and freshly sauteed with parsley salt and pepper.
Pork belly with charred greens. Greens were quite different, leaves were roasted, literally carbonized, and it has pomegranate seeds and tahini, Surprising.
The pork belly was again above expectations, super tender, a bit sweet and with the smokey taste. The bone separated from the flesh with no effort, and there was a big rib in the plate. Great!
Something I disliked was the size of the drinks. We ordered some cokes and the size was tiny, 200ml. You don’t serve a big rib with potato with a sip of coca-cola. You just don’t!
What we liked
- A Brisket bun ‘to die for’
- Fast, kind and reliable service
- Food above average
Where to improve
- Plastic cutlery
- Small dining space
- Tiny drinks
Rating 8/10
We thank our friends for the recommendation, it was worth the visit. You always hear about American brisket, but this one is at the same level. It also offers good value for money, with affordable yet delicious dishes. If you pass by London and you are into meat, you should eat at Smokestak.
