Temper Covent Garden

Meaty party

Aged beef skewers flatbread

I have always been a fan of Neil Rankin, the chef-owner of the Temper empire. Neil Rankin is considered a top BBQ and meat master in the trade. When I first encountered his cooking when he was at Smokehouse, I instantly have fallen in love with his cooking style. Fast forward to 2019, he has moved on to set up Temper. Now 3 sits strong, its Covent Garden site followed a similar format like the flagship Soho site, with a real focus in meat and taco, but with woodfire pizza on top. What I really like about all the Temper concept is its open kitchen, with open fire and robata grill taking central stage, diners get the chance to see the fine cut of meats cooked in front of them.

Soft shell crab taco

Slow-cooked porchetta flatbread

Temper house salad

For starter, I opted for the soft shell crab taco, the crab was deep-fried masterfully, really moist on the inside. The mild sour dressing also brought out the natural sweetness of the crab, it was very enjoyable. The next dish was the slow-cooked porchetta on flatbread, the bread was rolled fresh on the spot, then cooked inside the wood oven right in front of me. The bread absorbed the richness from the porchetta and delivered tones of smoky umami taste. The main event was the 500g bone-in ribeye, it was cooked to perfection, super tender and well seasoned. The beef had so many savory and charred flavours, I just didn't want it to end, it was steak at such a high level.

Bone-in Ribeye

Beef-fat potatoes, Ogleshield

Peanut butter tart

My meal at Temper Covent Garden was the kind of meaty affair I just absolutely love. Open fire cooking, plenty of great quality meat, all cooked in front of me, what is not to love? The meat quality at Temper is really high, in fact, I would rate it as just as good as Hawksmoor and Goodman, but at a much more affordable price. This is a fantastic restaurant for any real meat and BBQ lovers. I was really sad when the legendary BBQ temple Pitt Cue shut its door earlier this year, but lucky enough for Londoners, Temper is still around. 



Food 3.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£35

5 Mercer Walk, Mercers Yard, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9FA

https://temperrestaurant.com/temper-covent-garden/