Smokehouse (Islington)

• Neil Rankin is back stoking the fire at a joint venture between the Pig &
• Smoked confit duck with blue cheese on toast
• Reminds me of being back in Leith with my scottish family
• Food that envokes memory is always a winner
• Those that don't know stovies are like a thick stew of meat
• Went for a Sunday lunch with a big group
• Neil Rankin made a name for himself as a BBQ and butchery maestro with stints at Pitt Cue Co and John Salt
• Watched on with increasing jealousy as it received rave reviews
• We all somehow ended up with the Aberdeen Angus Onglet which comes with Charred Vegetables
• It was easily one of the best meals I have eaten this year
• It is certainly one of the best combined beer and meat hangouts
• I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that the big draw of Smokehouse is Neil Rankin of Pitt Cue Co and John Salt fame
• He is a maestro of barbecuing and smoking things and here that is what you get in abundance
• Pig's head and cuttlefish romescu 'sphere' until we were told by the waiter that they were out of that
• At first I was disappointed that it was a bit dry but as I worked my way through it
• Of course there was the spicy gojuchang to smear on it
• I didn't try it but I was told it was 'lovely' that the chicken had a prominent
• Was a cheese sauce** and that they thought clashed with the other flavours
• We didn't realise that this dish came with mashed potato
• We were a two dish table those that didn't have the shortrib had the peppered ox cheek which came with cauliflower cheese
• No real complaints there the ox cheek was tender with a good smokey flavour but apparently some of the cauliflower could have done with a few more minutes to soften up
• Though the kimchi was potent enough for that one bite to knock your head off a bit
• After all this we were easily full but I had seen a lot of love for the sticky toffee apple cobbler on reviews and knew I wanted to give that a try
• Luckily Stephen had the apple dish so I was still able to try it
• It was a bit like a tres leches vanilla sponge soaked with vanilla liqueur with vanilla fudge and vanilla ice cream (really should be a Quadruple V)
• **I have been reliably informed (by Neil Rankin himself no less) that it was not a cheese sauce but Thai mayo which makes more sense
• I came here last Sunday with my flatmates as we live around the corner
• We ordered the Islington Charcuterie to start which is smoked and hung at the restaurant and would definitely recommend
• The star of the show for me however was their desserts
• By far the best dessert I've had in London
• Feel the main was slightly overpriced for a roast dinner £
• 17.50 but the meat was perfect which I guess you should expect as it's their speciality
• The Smokehouse is one of a small chain of four pubs run by a company called Noble Inns
• The others in the group are The Lady Ottoline
• The emphasis is very much on cooked meat
• Example wines were Vina Jaraba Crianza 2008 La Mancha at £
• 6.50) and gochujang (a Korean condiment made from chilli and soybeans) was fried in breadcrumbs and was a package of meaty goodness
• The crab had reasonable flavour and was shell free (13/20)
• The meat tender and the red wine sauce with it working well with the beef (13/20)
• 17.50) came with caponata with ndjua migas (crumbs of spicy pork sausage)
• 4) had decent leaves and dressing but was pleasant rather than inspiring (12/20)
• If you stuck to three courses with a modest wine a more typical bill with coffee would be around £
• Smokehouse is a very enjoyable place to eat
• The management is inconsistent and to a large extent downright unfriendly
• He absolutely refused to budge even when my friends requested to let us just cut the cake given that we were handed a knife by the restaurant staff
• Given that it was 20+ of us who stayed at the pub from 4 9pm spending a sizeable £
• On drinks we felt that it was a massive let down
• I think the manager did not realise how many people were part of the party because as we moved out the bar completely emptied out
• I think we all understand rules but perhaps inconsistency and non apologetic behavior is not acceptable at all
• Another point to note is that when I tried to book a table
• When we arrived around 4.30pm we however found out that most of the tables in the bar area were reserved for diners
• Drinking crowd was relegated to the smoking garden or crowd around three tiny tables
• The bar staff was very friendly but the management majorly let us down
• Also there is absolutely nothing on the menu for vegetarians
• Safe restaurant choice if you're eating with a bit of a food snob
• The meat (tis all about the meat as the name would suggest) is superb whatever you get (though the short rib is my personal fave)
• There are some occasional Korean flavours which if you like Kimchi is a good choice
• What makes the smokehouse stand out as a restaurant are actually the staff who are always friendly
• It makes me very happy that my gaff is mere minutes away from Smokehouse
• We get lucky with a view of the serving hatch and the insanely good beer menu brandished on a blackboard
• Over the hatch is what I assume to be head chef Neil Rankin&rsquo
• The egg yolk running into the pie as you cut into it is pure luxury
• Moroccan crab salad was a dainty sweet shop of a plate
• The crab meat was flavourful but nice and light as a summer dish should be
• On the other hand our courgette flower was quite a sad
• Everything was made better upon tucking into it
• Hell when even EAT are jumping on the bandwagon and going a pulled pork roll
• What started out as people doing this because they were passionate about wanting to do it well has just become a fad where people feel they have to do it just to be
• There is a science to it that you have to appreciate and learn after making mistake after mistake after mistake tinkering with all the variables (heat
• You have a product you can be satisfied with until you decide it was a mistake and you reinvent it
• The willingness to do this is what still separates the trended setters from the pretenders and at Smokehouse
• Head man Neil Rankin is showing Islington the very best the UK land and sea has to offer one delicious plate at a time
• My meal started with the spicy tteobokki &
• Then moved on to mains of the peppered ox cheek with cauliflower cheese and an incredible dino rib dish served with mash
• Then finished off with sticky toffee apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream
• No dish could be faulted and all were just seriously good and tasted so pure proving that when you source quality
• Highlights of the night for me were the brisket roll (which I could eat again and again and again) and the dino ribs which
• Smoking big pieces of meat are an art form and Neil has nailed it
• Smokehouse is an absolute must for anyone who enjoys a good
• I should also mention that they also operate as a pub with some fantastic drinks so really this more than dinner
• Chef Neil Rankin is a bit of a legend when it comes to BBQs in London
• Restaurant with meats of big
• The highlight was the Smoked lamb shoulder
• Instead of having that smokiness as the main act with other flavors supporting it
• On a sunny day with a packed beer garden of Yuppies there&rsquo
• Our waiter was even giving me beer pairings and
• Rankin teamed up with Noble Inns to open the Smokehouse last year and has received widespread critical acclaim
• The restaurant is lively and modern
• The sticky date was also pretty tasty but could have done with more sauce
• My friend ordered the gnocchi and was kindly permitted a side of vegies
• The tacos were filled with tender shredded meat that had a good flavour
• I deducted points as it was a bit silly that the kitchen ran out of two major components of their star dish midway through service
• It is very nice smoke house there food is awesome I love it my full family love it it is very nice and tasty food and very tasty I love it it is awesome
• Went to smoke house with my family for lunch and they really loved the food
• The ambience was amazing and so was the food

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