Right in the heart of Wimbledon High Street, a leafy suburb world-renowned for its annual lawn tennis tournament, The Butcher and Grill is an impressive addition to the village’s extensive collection.

The Venue
Not just a restaurant, The Butcher and Grill does what it says on the tin: it combines a modern butcher and deli at the front of house with a relaxed restaurant and open plan kitchen at the rear. With the meat counter to your right and deli to your left at the front door, the marble-topped thin and narrow bar is the first stop before you descend a handful of steps into the main dining area. This is a combination of blue painted walls, pillars, exposed brickwork and dark brown furniture and wall panels.

There’s a large banqueting table in the centre to seat sixteen people with tables to suit groups of four or twosomes around the edges and diner-style booths to the immediate right hand side that could comfortably fit six people. The open plan chrome kitchen sits at the rear and the area has a conservatoire style glass ceiling in the middle of the room, which helps bring much needed light into what could be a dark and dim space. Overall, it’s a fairly ordinary but convivial space to enjoy food and friendly company.

Already a hit in its original incarnation in Battersea, this second site is set to provide stiff competition to the mass of local chains such as Strada, Cote, Giraffe and Pizza Express. The eye-catching window display of free range meat sits opposite a deli spread and entices passing walkers to stop and stare. In a world where chefs like Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall champion ethical animal farming, The Butcher & Grill taps into this mentality, as all of its beef and lamb is free range and comes from Highfields’ Farm in Sussex. This farm is just 60 miles from the restaurant’s doorstep and all the meat is born and reared on the farm or lives there for four months of its life.

The Atmosphere
Relaxed and informal at lunchtime, the space is peppered with ladies of leisure, older moneyed locals and couples with time to burn. In the evening, the place is livelier with bigger family groups and younger couples who create more of a buzz. Service is top-notch. The management keep things ticking with military precision and are hawk-eyed to customers needs without being overbearing.

The Food
As you’d expect, the unique selling point is the quality of the meat on the menu. Customers are encouraged to peruse the butcher’s counter by the front door and select a piece they particularly fancy. Starters range from a simple but tasty tomato and bread soup with basil pesto at £4.95 to one of the recommended house dishes, the steak tartar at £12.50. The grilled squid with chilli is served upon a veritable nest of rocket and costs £7. The generous and succulent squid has a smoky flavour which kicks against the peppery rocket and salt rock seasoning. The chilli flakes are visible but don’t particularly make their presence felt. This dish is a pleasant and gentle way to prepare for the main meat feast.

The rib-eye main is an imposing piece of 10oz meat that dominates the plate and the choice of crispy-on-the-outside fluffy-on-the-inside chunky chips (£2.75) are enhanced by the inspired Bearnaise sauce - a delicious side that urges you to use it to mop up every mouthful. Hunger-busting burgers weigh in at £9.50 and plump sausages are £7.50 for a portion of three. For non-meat eaters there’s a wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil (£13.50) and south coast halibut, tomato and mussel broth (£17) for those who fancy a fish dish. Sides need to be ordered with each dish, there’s mash (£2.75), minted potatoes and sea salt (£3) and cider battered onion rings (£2.75), amongst others.

The main portions are hefty and desserts may be too much of a stretch, but if there’s room for more, the English strawberries with Champagne sorbet (£5) is of course a Wimbledon favourite and the Bakewell tart with clotted cream (£6) is another classic that is fast becoming a winner with the locals.

The Drink
If you walk up the hill from Wimbledon train station, you will not only feel the burn on your abs, but you will have worked up a thirst that needs quenching. The Belu still mineral water is perfect and reinforces the ethical theme with its work dedicated to helping out poor countries in the African continent.

The wine list is extensive and you will find anything on the red section from a Spanish Senoria De Ayanz Tempranillo at the cheap and cheerful £14.50 a bottle to the Chateau Pichon, Lalalande Paulliac, which will set you back a rather wallet-troubling £175. The choice of the La Flour Malbec Mendoza is a happy medium; it’s rich, deep and distinctive at £5 a glass. White wine, roses and Champagnes are also well represented and will no doubt be very popular during the summer months, especially with the hordes that descend on the village during the annual tennis tournament.

The Last Word
Perfect for carnivores with a conscience, The Butcher and Grill is a forward-thinking concept that’s well executed.

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