Black and Blue

Most contemporary restaurants try to aim for a unifying concept, with everything connected to a central theme. Everything from the decor to the menu to the food can be found to relate to each other. It’s all quite pleasant and coherent but perhaps a little dull, which makes it a delight when a restaurant decides to throw that idea of togetherness out of the window.

In every way new eatery Black and Blue is schizoid. The external sign boasts of combining steaks and cocktails, for those ravenous carnivores who like a Brandy Alexander on the side.

The interior is one of contrasts too. The restaurant side is one of brown leather chairs and pot plants. Then across the divide is the bar area, complete with neon signs and high stools. Downstairs is a club area with live DJs.

It makes for a perplexing mix but as my companion put it, it does make for a very coherent way to spend an evening. Come in for a few drinks at the bar, have your meal in the restaurant and then head downstairs for a boogie. But is it worth coming along for the food in the first place?

Our meal got off to a rocky start with the starters. Maybe I’ve become complacent due to having many, many good starters in the past few weeks. But I soon realised how lucky I had been. My avocado and crayfish salad was little more than an updated prawn cocktail with the dressing too sharp to be really enjoyable. My companion’s choice of tortilla chips with a warm dip was slightly better but hardly something to exclaim.

Matters picked up with the main course. I ordered the T-bone steak while my companion ventured for the vegetarian burger. My companion was delighted with his burger, which was filling and flavoursome. My T-bone steak was pretty decent, a well-cooked piece of meat, and well accompanied by some fantastic chips. A little more flavour to the meat would not have gone amiss but it was still admirable.

I finished off the meal with a delicious piece of New York cheesecake, which managed a balance between delicate flavour and sturdy texture. The one problem that the venue might have is that given how filling the food in the restaurant is, the DJ downstairs might find him or herself playing to people who are having to waddle along to the beat.

Black and Blue
37 Berners Street
Soho
W1T 3NB

Tel: 020 7436 0451