Considering as a student my usual diet is somewhere in between that of Charlie Kelly from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and a recent divorcee, steak is an anomalous indulgence. So, when The Edge offered me the rare opportunity (I’m only falling back on this lazy pun once) to review Monday’s Steak Club at The Bridge, I was only too happy to accept.
There are three selections of cuts; flat iron (£7.70) , rump (£9.90) and rib eye (£12.50), all served with chips, roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic roasted field mushrooms. My decision to go with rib eye attested to be wise with each mouthful having the succulence and tenderness of a steak far exceeding its price tag, followed by a mild but noticeable charcoal after-taste.
The meal can also be complemented by a choice of either Hollandaise, Stilton and Peppercorn, costing £1.50 per pot. My pick of Stilton was indeed a risk. Some cheese sauces are monstrously overpowering and make you feel like you are experiencing an intravenous injection of Cathedral City, however on this occasion the sauce managed to be rich and luxurious without resorting to brutish taste-bud-bashing; a solid, yet nuanced accompaniment to the steak’s flavour.
The effort that has gone in to the meal as a whole is also admirable; the dressing which surrounds the rim of the plate is subtle but appreciated and the garlic seasoning added to the field mushroom creates a multi-faceted event for the pallet. Furthermore, another outstanding achievement of the meal are the chips; the firm and crispy outer layer coating the pillow-fluffy potato inside.
However, although the standard of the food is faultless, there is unfortunately not a great deal of it. While the food is certainly priced on the lower end of the steak meal spectrum, it would only be a few pound extra to get a far more substantial steak at another pub/restaurant, however it’s unlikely that it would match the grade set by The Bridge.
If you’re a fan of quality over quantity (and also rather obviously, steak), then this is for you.
Steak Club runs every Monday at The Bridge, 18:00 – 20:00.
