Flat Iron Soho on Beak Street: what to order and when to go

Flat Iron Soho is a steak restaurant on three floors at 17 Beak Street, a minute from Carnaby Street and Kingly Court. It is on Beak Street, not inside Kingly Court, so look for the street number and not the courtyard. Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus are both a short walk away, according to VisitLondon.

What it is

The pitch is simple: one signature cut, cooked well, without a big bill. The flat iron comes from the shoulder blade and gave the restaurant its name. There are also daily Wagyu specials on the blackboard, which change, so ask what is on.

The building suits the job. The team describes it as rickety, in the way of old Soho buildings, and says it peeled back decades of layers to reveal the character underneath. An older review from The Nudge called it a low-lit Soho den, and that still reads right for a dark room on a winter night.

A little history

Flat Iron grew out of a 2012 pop-up above the Owl and Pussycat pub in Shoreditch, during the Olympics summer. Soho was the first permanent restaurant. According to the brand, founder Charlie Carroll set out to make great steak available to everyone. He spent nine months teaching himself butchery and learning about secondary cuts, and worked through a list of 38 suppliers. The original proposition was steak for £10, and the Good Food Guide once called it “probably the best £10 you can spend in London”, as quoted on Yelp.

It has since become a group, with Wikipedia listing 20 locations. Soho is where it began, and it is still the one to visit if you want the original room.

What to order

• The flat iron steak. This is the reason to come. Start and finish here.
• Beef dripping chips. A classic on the Soho page, and a favourite with Tripadvisor reviewers.
• Crispy bone marrow garlic mash. The other side the restaurant itself points to.
• The Wagyu steak of the day. Check the blackboard for what is on.
• Truffled mac and cheese. Praised by Tripadvisor reviewers if you want something richer on the table.

Finish with the soft-serve ice cream, which VisitLondon singles out as the closer. Reviewers also mention free popcorn and free ice cream, so expect small extras. The Nudge liked the salted caramel mousse too.

Prices

The price band is two pound signs, and SquareMeal puts the average under £30. The steak began at £10 and has crept up over the years, so check the current menu at flatironsteak.co.uk before you go. A minority of reviewers find portions small or the meal average, but the overall Tripadvisor rating is 4.4 out of 5 from 2,852 reviews.

When to go

Hours are Sunday to Tuesday half eleven to ten, Wednesday and Thursday half eleven to eleven, and Friday and Saturday half eleven to half eleven. It is open all day, which makes it a handy mid-afternoon steak when other kitchens have shut.

Walk-ins are always welcome. You can also book through the website on SevenRooms, up to five weeks ahead. If your slot is gone, walk in anyway: the restaurant says it will do its best to fit you in.

Reviewers report queues on Saturday evenings and on weekday evenings too, with waits of around 30 to 40 minutes. The team takes your number so you can wander off. The sensible plan on a Friday night is to book ahead. For no stress at all, go at opening, around half eleven or twelve for lunch, or in the quiet of the afternoon.

For after

You are on the Carnaby edge of Soho, so the easy move is to walk the few steps to Carnaby Street, pedestrianised and lined with shops, or into Kingly Court. Wander until something looks right, then head home or onwards.

Book or walk in via the Flat Iron Soho page, and see SevenRooms for tables. For the story behind the steak, read the brand's about page.