Daily specials
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| Grilled XL Carabinero Prawn with caviar |
Restaurant Ibai, tucked away on Bartholomew Close in the City, just a short walk from St Paul’s, is the sort of restaurant that makes you rethink what a steakhouse can be. Led by chef Richard Foster, Ibai takes its inspiration from the Basque Country and puts serious cooking over fire at the centre of the experience. The setting is spacious and industrial, but the food is anything but cold or anonymous. There is a sense of purpose to the cooking here: excellent ingredients, properly sourced and treated with respect, are allowed to do most of the talking, while the grill and fire provide the seasoning that no clever technique can quite replicate. It is one of the best restaurants in London for anyone who appreciates serious ingredients and live-fire cooking, and, for me, it is doing the best steak in London.
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| Roasted hand-dived scallops |
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| Artichoke and aged ham |
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| Wagyu and crab pinxtos |
The mistake would be to arrive at Ibai thinking you simply need to order the biggest steak on the menu and leave. Yes, the steak is the headline, and rightly so, but there is considerably more going on here. The restaurant's daily special menu is where things become particularly exciting. Among the dishes that deserve particular attention is the roasted scallop, which captures Ibai's approach beautifully. A scallop is an ingredient that doesn't need much interference when it's of the right quality, but getting the cooking exactly right is another matter. The combination of gentle sweetness, a properly roasted exterior and that unmistakable smoky edge from the fire makes it a memorable dish rather than simply a well-cooked piece of seafood. The grilled Iberico pork shoulder is another dish that shouldn't be overlooked; the pork is absolutely worth ordering. Iberico has a richness and depth that responds beautifully to live fire, and the shoulder brings a different texture and flavour profile to the table. Grilled properly, the outside picks up that deep, smoky char while the meat retains its luxurious richness.
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| Croque Ibai: carabinero, boudin noir and Tomme de Brebis |
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| Grilled Iberico pork shoulder |
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| Pain Perdu with hazelnuts & rum |
The quality of the ingredients throughout the menu is obvious, whether you're eating seafood, vegetables, cured meats or one of the restaurant's more indulgent dishes. The cooking is direct and assured rather than cluttered with unnecessary technique. That is particularly evident once the fire gets involved. There is smoke, char and caramelisation, but they are controlled rather than used as theatrical decoration. My compliment is that Ibai is not merely a steak destination. The roasted scallop and grilled Iberico pork shoulder prove that the kitchen has range, while the daily special menu gives regular diners a reason to keep coming back and see what Foster and his team are doing next. That element is important. The specials provide an evolving side to the restaurant, and they are where I suspect some of Ibai's most rewarding meals will happen. There are plenty of restaurants in London that are excellent once, but the best restaurants give you a reason to return. Ibai has that quality. Hence, it was my 21st trip.
Food 4.5/5
What I paid: £125 per person with wine
Average cost without drinks and services: £80 (dinner)
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