One Sixty City Review: Meats Smoked On Site And Cocktails To Die For
It’s a good job we’re feeling carnivorous as we head to One Sixty’s new central London outpost - One Sixty City in Liverpool St.
With a smoker on site, the meat options are tantalisingly slow-cooked for eight to 14 hours.
One Sixty City
With its diners, burger joints, pancake houses and hotdog huts, London is riding on a US foodie wave right now, so it seems the perfect time to import a smoker from the States and set up camp serving hearty American-style dishes.
Laid out in diner style, with a combination of tables and booths, the decor is comfy and classy, US-themed without falling into the kitsch Americana trap.
Because of its City location, many of the afterwork crowd seemed to be simply perusing the cocktail and (extensive) beer menus rather than the food, which was their loss.
However, the beer menu has been as thoughtfully put together as the food. It’s split into regions, with some notable real ales and craft beers from around the world as well as local London breweries. It’s impossible not to find something to perfectly match your meat, and the staff know their stuff and make good recommendations. As well as imported bottles there are loads of draft options too, including Sierra Nevada and Belgian Delirium Tremens.
The big questions is whether to go for a beer or cocktail though.
Obviously we had both.
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The restaurant is the second in the One Sixty ‘chain’, the original being all the way up north in Hampstead. Run by restaurateur David Moore, of Pied à Terre and L'Autre Pied, it offers a more laid back option than these two, where you can happily spend the whole evening sampling everything on the drinks menus.
Food highlights:
When you go out for dinner, it may as well be for something you couldn’t cook at home, and eight-hour smoked ribs and ox-cheek most definitely fit that bill.
As puddings haven’t been introduced to the menu yet, there’s absolutely no excuse not to get a starter and whatever you do, order the mac & cheese. It’s delicious with crispy tortilla chip pieces adding a delectable crunch paired with perfect creamy cheese sauce.
One Sixty City
If you’re not ordering ribs as a main, you can get a little taste with the rib tips but if you are, a better choice is the pig’s cheek scrumpets. We didn’t quite know what to expect but they look like big chicken nuggets and are packed with delicious soft-cooked pork.
I’d actually have been perfectly happy with these as a main, but the ribs and ox cheek were on order and when they arrived they caused quite a scene.
Stretching well off the metal tray they arrived on (no time for #wewantplates here), the ribs were enormous, succulent and falling off the bone. The ox cheek did fit on the plate but was no less impressive. And both dishes were accompanied by signature slaw and root veg mash.
A side of thick crispy chips completed the ensemble, with the unusual addition of Bloody Mary dip. And by the end of the meal we were dipping everything we could get our hands on in it.
As a token bit of greenery, the broccoli with garlic and chilli is delicious and might help you avoid the meat sweats.
The cocktails deserve a special mention. We opted to enjoy them in lieu of dessert - an excellent decision if I do say so myself. Not to be missed is the Champagne Old Fashioned, arriving in a simple Champagne glass and tasting distinctly of whiskey, it played quite a (tasty) trick on the senses. Other faves include the sours, the ‘not sickly sweet’ option for those who prefer a more refined cocktail.
If you’re really craving something sweet, try one of the signature alcoholic milkshakes - perhaps a Salted Caramel with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, or how about a Cappuccino milkshake with Kahlua?
After the generous portions and a few cocktails, it’s hardly surprising we almost literally rolled home. Well worth it.
One Sixty City is a five minute walk from Liverpool St station. Find out more at http://www.one-sixty.co.uk/city-stoney-lane/.
