SOS - Top Floor (EC1M)
'Smiths' of Smithfield
67-77 Charterhouse Street
London EC1M 6HJ
020 7251 7950
www.smithsofsmithfield.co.uk
67-77 Charterhouse Street
London EC1M 6HJ
020 7251 7950
www.smithsofsmithfield.co.uk
Ambience
Cuisine
Cuisine
Service
Value for Money
Value for Money
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Now that you've outgrown Fabric, what to do on Charterhouse Street? Visit 'Smiths' of Smithfield, where there's something for everyone (and something even better on the Top Floor).
We arrived at SOS on a Friday evening at 7:30 and the pavement was filled with after-work drinkers. With an hour to kill before our reservation, this wasn't going to cut it (we've even outgrown that), so we asked if the Top Floor was open for drinks.
They made a phone call; we crossed our fingers. And as it turned out, the terrace was open and empty, so we seated ourselves and watched the sky darken over the City.
Talk about beautiful! It was almost a shame when our friends arrived.
The wine started flowing, and then our food started coming.
Our starters were delicious - the perfectly pureed pea soup, the salt & pepper squid that seemed a bit healthier than everyone else's, and a lovely Dorset crab.
All but one of us ordered steak, and after sampling each other's, agreed hands down that pan fried was better than grilled. Those who didn't ask for sauce on the side were a bit sorry to have quite so much of that good thing. And our original friend, who ordered the halibut, said it was wonderful too (although she had hoped for chunks of lobster in the lobster mash).
We needed twice as many sides as we thought, and all - chips, potato au gratin and green beans - were very good. In fact, the chips were exceptionally good.
The only complaint we had was our server. While nice and attentive enough, her experience didn't measure up to the steaks. When asked how pink medium was, she replied, 'The chef well, he is English'. What does that mean? Will I get what I want? And more importantly, would you say that to a table full of Brits? As it was, they appeared in the shades we hoped, and tasted divine.
One of our friends was bummed though, when her pan-fried steak was switched with her neighbours grilled steak - something they discovered toward the end.
To finish, we had the cheese plate (Neal's Yard always comes through), the creme brulee and the chocolate gateau. Perfect.
We rolled out at 12:15 with £85 less in our pockets, pleased with our decadent and indulgent evening.
And the fact the queue was for Fabric and not the black cabs made it even sweeter.
They made a phone call; we crossed our fingers. And as it turned out, the terrace was open and empty, so we seated ourselves and watched the sky darken over the City.
Talk about beautiful! It was almost a shame when our friends arrived.
The wine started flowing, and then our food started coming.
Our starters were delicious - the perfectly pureed pea soup, the salt & pepper squid that seemed a bit healthier than everyone else's, and a lovely Dorset crab.
All but one of us ordered steak, and after sampling each other's, agreed hands down that pan fried was better than grilled. Those who didn't ask for sauce on the side were a bit sorry to have quite so much of that good thing. And our original friend, who ordered the halibut, said it was wonderful too (although she had hoped for chunks of lobster in the lobster mash).
We needed twice as many sides as we thought, and all - chips, potato au gratin and green beans - were very good. In fact, the chips were exceptionally good.
The only complaint we had was our server. While nice and attentive enough, her experience didn't measure up to the steaks. When asked how pink medium was, she replied, 'The chef well, he is English'. What does that mean? Will I get what I want? And more importantly, would you say that to a table full of Brits? As it was, they appeared in the shades we hoped, and tasted divine.
One of our friends was bummed though, when her pan-fried steak was switched with her neighbours grilled steak - something they discovered toward the end.
To finish, we had the cheese plate (Neal's Yard always comes through), the creme brulee and the chocolate gateau. Perfect.
We rolled out at 12:15 with £85 less in our pockets, pleased with our decadent and indulgent evening.
And the fact the queue was for Fabric and not the black cabs made it even sweeter.
Here Is The Writer : Sarah Western Balzer
Sarah Western Balzer is the managing director of HITC Life and is always on the lookout for reader-writers, so if you'd like to be one, make yourself known (sarah.western@hereisthecity.com). Sarah moved to London six years ago from New York but is originally from Florida, and still suntans like it's 1989. She is so grateful to the banker who introduced her to Here Is The City that she married him, and they live in Wapping with their son.
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