‘Supplier-to-table’ seafood venture in the heart of Soho, Rex & Mariano, which closed after less than a year, has been replaced by another meat-focused venture from the Goodman group. Zelman Meats – courtesy of the company that brought us Goodman steak houses and Burger & Lobster – took over the St Anne’s Court site today (3 November).
Surprisingly Goodman’s Dave Strauss said publicly in an interview with Hot Dinners that they ‘got the formula wrong’ at Rex & Mariano. Without giving too much away, the results of the latest Harden’s diner survey (to be launched this week) tell a different story. The feedback we received from our reporters on Rex & Mariano was overwhelmingly positive. Diners not only enjoyed the well-sourced seafood but the very decent pricing (due to the supplier-to-table nature of the restaurant) and even the iPad menu ordering system.
But while the venue was generally buzzy in the evenings, the survey results noted that lunchtimes were quiet. Thankfully fans of Rex & Mariano can rest easy as Goodman say they plan to reopen their seafood offering in a different London location at a later date (still TBC).
Although Zelman Meats serves beef in many guises, this new restaurant does not follow the Goodman steak house formula that we all know so well. Instead there is a rotating menu of different cuts of meat and a cheaper, takeaway lunch offering, including a £5 steak sandwich.
