The Warwick Arms has been newly refurbished and re-branded by the company Tailor Made Steaks, a South African venture committed to putting meat back on the menu in Britain. Steak houses have long fallen out of fashion although at one time steak and chips used to be the nation’s favourite dish before chicken tikka masala came along. The idea is that you can tailor your meal exactly how you like it, choose your piece of meat (they pride themselves on the quality) and how long it’s cooked, together with your favourite side dishes.

The interior is quirky and comfortable, lots of leather and wicker chairs (some were cowhide and I was rather sorry I didn’t get to sit on one), warm red on the walls and large ornate mirrors giving lots of light. The menu is quite extensive and they have plenty of other dishes besides steak, including a fresh catch of the day and a range of salads. To start we decided to share a Boerewors which is a spicy South African sausage, sliced, with a dipping sauce and a rustic roll, and to follow a fillet steak for me with pepper sauce and double burger for him. Everything is charged by weight and I was able to choose a 5 oz fillet which is more than enough for me and the double burger at 16 oz was a man-sized portion. You can see all the steaks being cut at the butcher’s block and if you like pick your own, although we ordered everything at the table.

Naturally the wine list features South African wines aplenty and we ordered a bottle of Pinotage. I liked the tableware and the very large wine glasses; so suitable for rich reds; and was pleasantly surprised by the crisp white linen napkin. Now, I don’t even like sausages, but I really enjoyed the Boerewors, especially the dipping sauce that was thick and spicy, a cross between barbeque sauce and chutney. Our main courses were equally enjoyable, my fillet steak was perfectly cooked medium rare as I asked, both tender and tasty and the burger delicious.

The restaurant was very busy with lots of families (we were very lucky to be sitting next to Mr and Mrs Charming with their Well Behaved Children, a dying breed these days) I thought due to the school holidays, but in fact they are running an offer between 6.00pm – 8.00 pm where one child eats free for every adult main course. We were impressed with the quality of the food and the fact that everything was served piping hot (no hanging around under serving gantries to congeal) and thought all in all that the Warwick Arms is a very nice place to eat.

Jacquie Vowles