The Quality Chop House

88-94 Farringdon Road London, EC1R 3EA

You can’t beat this restaurant for authenticity. Since opening in 1869, the only thing that has changed in terms of interiors are the cushions that line the wooden booths. Not so the menu, which is now updated three times a day. Since becoming head chef in 2012 aged just 26, Shaun Searley has orchestrated a triumphant transformation. His bold approach and respect for ingredients appeal to our most carnal instincts. A Yorkshire grouse which arrives on an otherwise bare plate is so rare it’s practically pulsing. We rip off strips with our hands and soothe the concentrated savouriness with bread sauce and pure damson jelly. A chicken’s wing stuffed with minced puffball mushrooms and truffles is both beautifully light and has a depth of flavour that seriously wows. Although just around the corner from Smithfield Market, all the butchery is done on site and every part of the animal is used to perfection. Don’t leave without trying the confit potatoes, which are fried in animal fat and flake like fresh croissants.