Restaurant Review: STK Steakhouse London Strand, ME London on the Strand in London

At the foot of London’s ME Hotel, where the Strand meets with Aldwych, is STK – a glitzy restaurant group that has made its mark internationally. On the London dining scene, in particular, STK Strand has become ‘Insta-famous’, welcoming over the years, through its heavy dark doors, hordes of influencers and TV stars to snap and sample its luxurious menu.

A visit to STK is all about being seen, both on and offline. A widespread dining space filled with generous round booths makes this restaurant feel almost like a nightclub, complete with reflective silver detailing and purple lighting, and not to mention the resident DJ. This set-up makes the restaurant perfect for fun loving long lunches and indulgent dinners that bring people together.

Wagyu beef at STK Strand — Boasting a spectacular location within ME London on the Strand, in the cultural heart of the capital, STK London Strand is a premium destination renowned for serving the finest USDA prime beef and world-class service, in a decadent and social setting

The STK Strand venue is described as both a ‘decadent’ and ‘social’ setting, and in a nutshell, I couldn’t agree more. Do not shy away from this somewhat flashy façade, as the service here is better than many other fine-dining restaurants across the city. We visited on a Saturday lunchtime and were seated in one of the large white booths. It was just after midday and the restaurant remained quiet, an interlude ahead of the tables around us which soon started filling up.

Renowned for serving the finest USDA prime beef, the contemporary, and equally luxurious American menu predominantly focuses on serving diners 28-day custom-aged USDA prime beef- chosen for its superior tenderness, juiciness, flavour and fine texture. This includes back in September launching their new speciality Wagyu beef menu, curated by the restaurant’s steak aficionado chefs.

A new menu that launched at both STK Strand and its new sister restaurant, down the road in Westminster, offers guests the opportunity to order a variety of sublime Wagyu cuts. This includes the Olive Fed Freedom Hills Wagyu Tomahawk (450 Days Grain Fed) at £300 per 1.4kg, the Irish Wagyu Ribeye at £80 per 300 grams, and Japanese Wagyu Sirloin, a Sakura wagyu 750 days grain-finished at £40 per 100 grams. Changing regularly, STK’s Wagyu offers diners the opportunity to try new and exciting cuts, recommended by the team.

You may wonder what the hype is about this Japanese reared meat. This mainly surrounds the cut’s intense, fat marbling which results in its soft texture and that desired ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation. If you’re looking to sample some of this yourself, then STK should be on your book it list, as both venues in London are the only restaurants to serve Freedown Hill Tomahawk – a local farm that produces a very small amount of cattle.

steak and lobster at STK Steakhouse London Strand — STK London Strand’s contemporary American menu focuses on the finest 28-day custom aged USDA prime beef, chosen for its superior tenderness, juiciness, flavour and fine texture

STK is widely considered a steak restaurant, however, it’s worth sampling dishes from across the refreshingly dynamic menu. To sit alongside your chosen steak which can be indulgently topped with a variety of options from bacon to blue cheese (or both as I discovered), select and share the restaurant’s starter and side dishes which deserve their own level of spotlight.

Hero starters on the menu include burrata with heirloom tomatoes, yellowfin tuna tartare and crispy calamari with basil and padron peppers; each that play on more of an international palate. Whilst sides range from a trio of mac and cheese topped with truffle and bacon, creamed spinach or mashed potatoes with a parmesan crust to triple cooked chips.

Food at STK Steakhouse London Strand — STK is widely considered a steak restaurant, however, it’s worth sampling dishes from across the refreshingly dynamic menu

These, along with your steaks, are designed to be laid generously with one of the sauces (which STK consider such an important accompaniment that they feature in their standalone section of the menu). Our waiter recommended the signature ‘STK Bold’ – a rich and spicy barbecue sauce that has been tailored for their steak selection. Other options range from the rich red wine and béarnaise sauces to the popular peppercorn.

When it comes to wine pairings, STK will help you select a bottle depending on the origin of your steak. STK offer something available for every palate with the help of the restaurant’s sommeliers who can recommend labels from both the Unique and Classic Fine Reds menu. For something a little lighter (over their go-to red wines from Portugal, Argentina or South Africa), STK offer refreshing rosé wines that have been selected to pair perfectly with their dishes such as the Rose Gold, Côtes de Provence Rosé which is exclusively available at STK.