Flat Iron, the steak-based restaurant founded by Charlie Carroll in 2012, has opened their most northerly restaurant in Leeds (the nearest ones to Yorkshire are in Cambridge and London). The restaurant prides itself on the quality of beef they serve – in the same year the restaurant was set up, Charlie travelled to Thirsk to meet beef farmer Charles Ashbridge to learn how breed, feed and husbandry could make the best beef possible.
This, in turn, led to the Flat Iron herd, which numbers around 40 cows at Thirsk, as the restaurant strives to produce the best beef they can.
Arriving on an early Friday night, the restaurant was buzzing; it may be wise to book a table as many diners who arrived were turned away as they did not have a reservation.
The menu at Flat Iron
The menu is a small one – the star attraction being the Flat Iron Steak (£14.00) with an equally small section of sides, including homemade beef dripping chips (£4.00), crispy bone marrow garlic mash (£4.00), crispy spinach (£3.50), green salad (£3.50), truffled macaroni cheese (£5.50) and roast aubergine (£4.50).
If the Flat Iron steak doesn’t tickle your taste buds, then a bearnaise cheeseburger (£13.00) a Scottish bavette (17.00) or a Flat Iron sirloin (£20.00) might tempt you. Apart from the wagu of the day (£22.00), the wagu sharing sirloin (£50.00) completes the menu.
There are no starters, no coffees or teas or puddings as such – though there is a surprise as you leave the restaurant which I will reveal later. A tempting selection of wines, beers and cocktails are also on offer.
A nice touch was the water and popcorn that was brought to the table as soon as we were seated, another novel touch is the small meat cleaver placed on the tables that is used instead of a knife – the cleavers are available to purchase for £15.00.
My experience at Flat Iron
Our party of four enjoyed the Flat Iron steak – served on a stone and wooden board. My steak was lean and full of flavour. The former chef and burger aficionado amongst our party went as far to describe his bearnaise cheeseburger as one of the best he had tasted.
Our other sides of truffled macaroni cheese and crispy spinach were equally tasty, though the homemade beef dripping chips tasted and looked more like frozen chips with one serving having to be replaced due to looking like leftovers from the bottom of the bag – a new fresh helping proved to be far superior.
If you do not like too much dressing on your salad it might be a good idea to ask for any dressing to be served on the side – my partners salad came with too much dressing on for her liking.
The surprise
This is a fast-paced operation – most of our fellow diners were in and out of the restaurant within an hour. Service was fast, friendly, and fastidious. Which brings me to the point I mentioned earlier about the surprise you will receive when you leave Flat Iron; diners are offered a free ice cream in a tub or a cone. Unfortunately, you cannot have the ice cream served at your table, presumably because they do not want you outstaying your welcome.
Whilst eating an ice cream cone on a summers evening as you walk through Leeds might be pleasurable, on a wet and windy winters night it didn’t really cut the beef for me.
Final thoughts
Flat Iron appears to have found a recipe for success; two of our party have already booked a return visit and I can see the appeal of the restaurant. An affordable steakhouse with a buzzing atmosphere and good food with service to match.
Flat Iron Yorkshire, 9A Lands Lane, Leeds LS1 6AW
