The Quality Chop House
Author: Mārtiņš Rītiņš0 COMMENTS

Located on Farringdon Road near Exmouth Market, the Quality Chop House restaurant exists there ever since 1869, when poor people and immigrants started to inhabit London's East End. While it has changed hands for so many times, its original design with its black and white checkered flooring, wooden wall paneling and the pew-style seats still remains undamaged.
Each table can seat a party of six, quite closely side by side in a disciplined upright posture, giving no space for too much relaxation, to say nothing of drowsing off.
In 2012, the Quality Chop House reopened its doors again and again under different ownership, and its charm and quality most definitely lies in its menu and wine list.
Every day its new menu is chalked on a blackboard, while its modern weekly version is available on the restaurant's website, too. You can check it out in advance or else - let yourself be surprised with proven values of the traditional British cuisine. The restaurant offers a set dinner menu of four courses for 35 £, and there are few things that almost invariably are on it. Among these foods are freshly made goat's curd, made by separating the curds and whey, leaves of rare salads, perfectly cooked lamb or calf and a good, rustic slice of bread as well as cheeses from Neal's Yard Dairy - one the best cheese shops in London. If you are lucky to catch a dessert of chocolate pudding and vanilla sauce, then for someone perhaps it will ring a bell of school time in England in the 50s when school lunches were very good, by the way.
They also have their own peculiar way of serving food - everything is brought on big shared plates and diners have to help themselves, which adds to friendly atmosphere and liveliness at the dinner table. Also be sure to pay attention to charming tableware, especially plates - purple, with blue flowers and golden rime - yet none of them alike.
Service at the Quality Chop House deserves the best words only - it is friendly, unobtrusive and very knowledgeable. And one more thing - its Australian born sommelier, Josie Stad, is just fantastic! She has gained her experience from a world-class chef Heston Blumenthal, restaurant critique Nicholas Lander and Will Lander, the son of a certified sommelier and a world class wine expert, Jancis Robinson. It's no wonder that the restaurant's wine list boasts only the very best, carefully selected and rare vintage wines.
92-94 Farringdon Road
London EC1R 3EA
T.: 020 7278 1452
www.thequalitychophouse.com
05/2013