Goodman, Mayfair

Mr Oil and Mr Vinegar have been to a relatively new restaurant, Goodman, which aims to create a New York Steakhouse in Mayfair.

MrO: This place was very nice, wasn’t it?
MrV: It was very empty is what it was.
MrO: Well, it was only Tuesday lunchtime.
MrV: Yes, Tuesday lunchtime in hedge fund territory. I don’t think they could have picked a worse place to be at this stage of the economic cycle. These hedgies can’t even afford a steak for lunch. Probably having a sandwich at their desks, like common secretaries.
MrO: It was set up by Russians, apparently. There’s a famous chain of Goodmans in Russia.
MrV: That’s all we need – Russians setting up American restaurants in Britain.
MrO: It was fixed up very well. I like those booths. They give it a feeling of privacy...
MrV: Who needs privacy when you’re the only customers in the place?
MrO: ...and they were comfortable. I thought the steaks were pretty good. They hang the meat on their own premises, according to the website, “to produce the greatest steak in the capital.”
MrV: Write down that I snorted contemptuously when you said that.
MrO: My Scotch sirloin was delicious – 28 days matured.
MrV: I wish I’d had a British one. Mine was the rib-eye, and they don’t even say how long it was hung for. They feed the beasts on corn instead of grass. I’m a bit suspicious that the menu says it is a US Department of Agriculture steak. What does that mean? Have they had a chew on it before it’s brought to our table?
MrO: It probably means the grower is properly regulated. Anyway, what was wrong with it?
MrV: Not enough flavour and no finish to speak of, and not exactly a bargain at £29. We had the same problem at that Argie place in Bermondsey, Constancia, remember? New World steak is a bit like New World wine. It’s okay, but doesn’t linger on the palate much and only arrests the senses if they’ve added stuff to it. I daresay things will improve in a couple of hundred years.
MrO: The service was very good. Our waitress was terribly friendly and helpful.
MrV: Yes, I can’t fault them on that -- although come to think of it, if we hadn’t had her full attention when hardly any other customers were in, it would have been a disgrace.
MrO: I quite liked the wine list. It seems fairly reasonable priced. It is hard to get wine in restaurants for less than three times their retail price but I saw they were doing a Sarget 1997 for £56 – that’s less than twice the retail and very good restaurant value indeed.
MrV: Thank goodness they do French wines. At least there was something my palate could remember.
MrO: You are being unfair, particularly as they offer British steaks but you chose the American one. It’s your own fault. Sometimes I think you choose things you know you won’t like, just so you have an excuse to grumble. I would come back.
MrV: Well invite someone else if you do.

Mr Oil and Mr Vinegar consumed two starters, two main courses, two puddings and two bottles of wine, at a cost of approximately £250.

26 Maddox Street, London W1S 1QH Tel: +44 (0) 207 499 3776
http://www.goodmanrestaurants.com/page.php?xPage=reservations.html
http://www.goodmanrestaurants.com

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