When it comes to mouth-watering cuisine in the capital, there’s one restaurant group that has got carnivorous diners captivated. With three locations across London already and another one in the works, Temper is fast becoming the go-to choice for those in search of smoky, barbecued meat with all the trimmings, with its open-fire, whole-animal flagship restaurant in Soho having become something of an institution amongst central Londoners and foodie visitors alike.
With further restaurants in Covent Garden and City already drawing in crowds of approving diners and often booking up weeks in advance, Temper is currently preparing to open the doors of its latest iteration in trendy Shoreditch – and why stop there? Fans of this stylish and trendy set-up and its decidedly noteworthy cuisine would no doubt be happy to see one throwing open its doors in every London borough. Next stop, world domination.
For now, though, they’ll have to settle for the current line-up, and suffice it to say that they certainly don’t disappoint if you’re looking for a foodie experience to remember.
Temper’s mouth-watering menu of meat-centred dishes spans everything from its inspired signature cheeseburger tacos and melt-in-the-mouth sweet and sour pork rib, to a succulent array of steaks and sauces. Promising to satisfy even the most insatiable of appetites, choose from an exceptional list or rare breed cuts – including juicy rump steaks, giant T-bones and even Brazilian picanha, with gluttonous sauces including beef-fat bearnaise, Chipotle sour cream, Korean barbecue and Bourbon pepper all popular accompaniments worth drizzling over your dish.
At Temper, it’s not just about decadent cuisine, but the entire dining experience – and here, it’s the theatrics that really make your night out one to remember. Prepare to sit back, relax, and watch the chefs take centre stage as they step into their roles in the open kitchen – found at the heart of each Temper restaurant – and put on a stellar performance as they prepare, butcher and cook your meal in front of you.
The trendy, laid-back atmosphere is infectious, so it’s perhaps little wonder that all three of Temper’s restaurants attract a young and affluent crowd throughout the week. A place to see and be seen, the chilled vibe doesn’t stop diners getting dressed up in their finest for a mid-week feast or a leisurely Saturday night dinner washed down with Temper’s signature smoky mezcal cocktails, and overall, it’s a vibrant and sophisticated set-up you can’t help but get a taste for from your first visit.
Meat here is rare breed beef, sourced locally from small, independent farms, to ensure only the finest quality makes it onto diners’ plates – so you can dine at Temper safe in the knowledge that your cut has been ethically sourced. Only suppliers with the highest welfare practices in place – such as regenerative farms like Mount Grace Farm in north Yorkshire and Lyons Hill Farm in Dorchester – are considered, and all cattle grass-fed as standard, and chefs go out of their way to find creative ways to use up every part of an animal so that there is rarely any waste.
While sustainability is, of course, a key consideration for the restaurant group, it isn’t the only motivation behind the careful sourcing of its meats. Taste, too, is of paramount importance when it comes to the dishes it serves up to diners, and by bringing you some of the very best meat that money can buy, you can be certain that whatever dish you choose, and no matter how many times you visit Temper, it will always taste just as incredible as you’d expect.
While the official opening date of the Shoreditch eatery currently remains under wraps, we do know that it’s pegged for the summer months, and is set to enjoy a privileged location on Great Eastern Street. A split level eatery spread over two floors, it will comprise a stylish cocktail bar on the ground floor and a basement restaurant with counter seating and tables.
The main seating area will centre around the focal point of the open fire kitchen, as with temper’s other sites, where guests can watch the chefs at work, while interiors will be designed by Takagicapéran and based around the theme of charcoal, with luxurious polished wood and leather textures, alongside striking neon light installations.
Building on the success at other sites, Great Eastern Street will serve Temper’s highly popular Bottomless Barbecue Brunch, as well as a tasty traditional roast dinner on a Sunday. Although currently served only at Temper Soho, the brand’s decadent roast menu has thus far been extremely well-received, and the new site will allow a greater number of Temper fans to enjoy the experience.
Comprising stand-out individual and sharing cuts from whole carcasses, options include the whole smoked lamb shoulder or smoked beef shin for six, alongside aged roast beef and smoked pork belly – all served up in generous portions with trimmings like smoked parsnip purée, honey roast carrots, beef fat roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and bottomless burnt ends gravy.
Like all Temper eateries, it will also offer an extensive menu of mezcals and cocktails, with twists on classic margaritas, such as the Lychilli with a dash of tabasco and lychee juice, highlights you won’t want to miss out on trying. The El Gran Humo, which mixes pineapple and habanero-infused mezcal with white rum and British aperitif, is another must, and makes for the perfect after-dinner drink.
Chef director David Lagonell sees the new restaurant as a full circle return to the cult status of temper’s first restaurant in Soho.
He said: “Temper has always been focused on three things; meat, fire and theatre – and we’re working on new and exciting ways to showcase this in our new Shoreditch restaurant. We’ve been looking to open in the area for a while now and this site is the ideal place.”
Here at LLM, we can’t wait for the new site to open its doors, and will be booking our table as soon as possible. Set to be the hottest new dining spot in east London, we strongly suggest you do the same.
Factbox
Covent Garden: 5 Mercer Walk, Mercers Yard, London, WC2H 9FA / 020 3004 6669
Soho: 25 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 0DF / 020 3879 3834
City: 2 Angel Court, 30 Throgmorton Street, London EC2R 7HJ / 020 3004 6984
Website: temperrestaurant.com
