Meat London: An Insider's Guide by Tom Howells

Someone wrote a meat bible folks...

I love this series of books. They have to be one of the best ideas ever. For those of us who live outside London, finding somewhere good to eat can be a minefield. Okay, so you have the Michelin, Good Food, AA and Hardens guides but they tend to stick to fine dining. They do go a little beyond the white table cloth, but you rely on a score to tempt you. These books are like a very specific travel guide tailored to your preferred type of food. Earlier this year I reviewed Tea and Cake. This will be in my handbag when we visit London later in the month. Imagine my joy when I received a similar guide called 'Meat London'...

I don't know who loves this book more, me or my husband. It is rammed with wonderful pictures of what these places have to offer, tempting you like a meaty mistress! It's also in the same handy format as the other books, so it's easy to flick through for inspiration for any occasion; even if that means cooking at home. There's a really varied mix of high end restaurants and cheaper places too, so there's something for everyone regardless of the circumstance or budget. There's everything from Michelin stars to street food vans in here.

The book is split into three main sections for ease of browsing:

1. Restaurants and Pubs
2. Street Food
3. Butchers

Here are my picks from each section. Some I have already been too, but most are on the 'to eat' list...

Restaurants and Pubs

• Dinner by Heston Blumenthal - we went here not long after it opened and were flabbergasted by the steaks and their famous meat fruit.
• Hawksmoor - we still haven't got round to going here. Our London trips are always jam packed with restaurants, so it remains on 'the list'.
• Honest Burgers - I had never heard of this place before, but the pictures remind me very much of Roam in San Francisco. I have to go...
• St John - one of my husband's favourite meals ever. I expected offal-a-go-go here but was pleasantly surprised by their varied menu. Fantastic desserts too.

Street Food

• Daddy Donkey - authentic Mexican inspired by the owner's travels. He claims to be the daddy of burritos. Sounds right up my street!
• The Rib Man - inspired by the American deep South, this looks very 'Man vs. Food'. Yes.

Butchers

Not something I would usually purchase on a trip to London, however some of the pictures in this book have me considering a cool box...

• The Ginger Pig - this small chain of butchers has a simple ethos of raising well cared for, happy animals on the Yorkshire Moors. As a result, the quality of their meat has earned them an excellent reputation. The Hawksmoor even use their steaks...

This really is a great little book because it's a pleasant book to pick up and have a flick through, but it's also one I will actually use when planning future trips to London. 

Also available in the series is 'A Guide to London's Classic Cafes and Fish & Chips Shops'.

Publisher: Black Dog, 2012

Hardback, £9.99

Disclaimer: I reviewed this book because I am a carnivore. I received no payment from the publisher for doing so.

Read more about the authors at Black Dog.

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