Temper, Soho

Firstly let's be clear, this is not a post for my vegetarian readers. This is a post appreciating one of my favourite dining experiences I have had, at a restaurant that champions high-quality products, with all of the meat being sourced from sustainable British farms and butchered in-house. 

Temper London is a chain of restaurants in London with each branch having a unique feeling and menu but all focusing on great food and atmosphere. For Henry's birthday weekend we headed to the Soho branch; a basement restaurant with a 6m long central fire pit and open kitchen focusing on high quality barbequed food.

The Starters 

The menu itself is simple and designed to share. It is split into sections with starters comprising of 'snacks' and 'tacos'. To start off we went for cheeseburger taco and smoked goat taco, which both came recommended from the very helpful waiting staff (we were also sat the bar and right next to the head chef so got to try some of their slow-cooked pork and it was stunning and a must-order if we visit again!)

Both of the tacos came out garnished and on a plate to share. The cheeseburger taco was as labelled, a barbeque hob cooked burger made of their delicious meat with melted cheese, diced red onion and jalapenos for a spicy bite. The burgers were perfectly juicy and the cheese added an extra level, but my stand out dish was the smoked goat taco. I haven't had a lot of goat and wasn't sure what to expect but these melt in the mouth smoked cuts topped with a spiced sauce and jalapenos were delicious. The tacos were a great starter to share and a great size for a lighter lunch snack.

The Main 

For the main, we had to go for a steak! We went for the sirloin and with kitchen side seats we were lucky enough to even see how it was cooked; on the scorching barbeque wood, to the grill above the flames and then to rest in amongst the slow-cooked meat and barbeque smoke. The steaks come in various sizes but we went for the 400g sirloin and it was the perfect size for two of us. All of the steaks come with their sauce; kimchi spiced mayonnaise and we also ordered their 'green sauce' a simple mix of lime, chilli and coriander. 

I love that the steak came on its own flatbread that perfectly soaked up the juices and added an extra crunch. We also ordered from their 'sides' menu and opted for the burrata which came with lime and jalapeno and was the perfect creaminess to go alongside the meat. Other sides to try included beef fat potatoes, salads and something called smacked cucumber.

If you're not a lover of classic steak, other options for mains include BBQ dishes like a smoked goat, homemade sausage or pork carnitas served with paratha and wood-fired fish with tortillas, chipotle sour cream, green sauce, fennel & mint salad.

As you can see the steaks come with the fat left on and although it was sealed off I didn't eat it. They don't take it off any of the steaks out of choice, mainly for flavour, but recommend certain cuts if you're not a fan. They also cook all of the steaks by the barbeque and to their standards so we didn't pick how 'well-done' the steak was but for me, it was perfect pink level. 

The Dessert

So.. we didn't quite stop there. We decided to have our third and final course of dessert to share and what else could we order but the head chefs' recommendations, the deep dish brigadeiro cookie; a deep dish, barbeque hob cooked chocolate chip cookie served melt in the middle and crispy on the edges.. with a Fior Da latte ice cream melting on top. 

It was the perfect end to an amazing meal. The food was well flavoured, though not for someone who isn't a fan of salt, and served promptly. The service was attentive yet comfortable with kitchen side seats and constant interaction with the chef and even the drinks, with a well-equipped bar, were stunning. 

It wasn't the cheapest meal and is definitely a birthday treat or celebratory lunch but it was hands down worth the money and the trip to London!