Harden's survey result
Summary
“So what if the benches aren’t that comfortable!” – the bum-numbing seating at Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau’s “characterful and closely packed” Clerkenwell institution is part of its proud history as a ‘Progressive Working Class Caterer’, built in 1869 to feed the masses. Nowadays, “as the name suggests”, it mainlines on “butchery and quality of the meat” (“you can pop into their nextdoor butcher’s shop to buy too”). Most reviewers feel it is “a great London venue and long may it continue”, but it can also seem “a slightly odd mix of traditional English food with the tasting plate craze” and “some dishes can fall into the cracks between the price charged and their quality”.
Summary
“A London institution” since 1869, when it opened to feed the working classes of Clerkenwell – this ‘Progressive Working Class Caterer’ now attracts a more bourgeois crowd with “food cooked to melt-in-mouth perfection and informative, informal service. You feel that everyone loves their job”. The menu still leans heavily on chops and steaks, leavened by good fish and vegetable options, and it’s a “favourite place to show off to people” with its listed Victorian wooden booths and “very uncomfortable bench seats”, softened by cushions. These days it is part of Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau’s Woodhead Group, alongside Portland and Clipstone, and has its own larder, daytime café and wine bar next door.
Summary
“The service is always excellent – really warm and welcoming”, at this “nostalgic” and loveable Victorian relic in Clerkenwell: a ‘Progressive Working Class’ institution, established in 1869 and lovingly restored from the 1990s onwards by a succession of owners, of which the latest are Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau. In line with the subtle updating of its ancient and boothed interior, the “classic” cuisine has been “modernised and amped-up a notch” and it offers an attractive combination of “tradition and sheer flavour”. Top Tip – “mince on dripping toast cannot be beaten!”
Summary
“You either love or hate the iconic and original (and cramped and uncomfortable) Victorian booths, which are part of the charm of this Clerkenwell institution” (est 1869) , “which has not been a ‘Progressive Working Class’ establishment for a very long time, no matter what it says on the ancient, etched-glass windows!”. Relaunched in the early 1990s in the first stages of Britain’s latter-day food revival, it’s been run since 2012 by Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau and its ratings are going from strength to strength on the back of its “honest, modern-ish take on hearty traditional dishes” (“perfect for meat eaters – huge steaks”) and “unusual and interesting wines”. They run a deli and wine shop next door too, ‘Quality Wines’ which is currently a voguish haunt in its own right, with chef Nick Bramham producing a small menu of trendy small plates.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Quality Chop House?
88-94 Farringdon Rd, London, EC1R 3EA
Restaurant details
The Quality Chop House Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Seems noisier, menu is smaller and rather overpriced and over- chop-or-steaked. Not worth the £250 for two with 'second on the list' wine"
"Very friendly, engaging staff. Food was super yum. Didn’t matter that tables were very close to each other. Great cocktails and wine was lovely. Staff sometimes forgetful (wifi code and extra gravy). "
"Imaginative fare. Well cooked. Interest in wine list. Good, efficient, helpful service"
"M E A T Y G O O D N E S S"
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £29.00 |  |
|
|
|
| SundayLunch | £55.00 | |
|
|
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Pudding |
|---|---|---|
| £14.50 | £59.00 | £10.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £36.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £0.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
88-94 Farringdon Rd, London, EC1R 3EA
| Number of Diners: | |
| Required Time: | |
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm |
Best British, Traditional restaurants nearby
British, Traditional restaurant in Clerkenwell
British, Traditional restaurant in Holborn
British, Traditional restaurant in City
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
French restaurant in Bloomsbury
Fish & seafood restaurant in Covent Garden
Steaks & grills restaurant in City
