Smith & Wollensky, London

The hubby took me for a little date on Friday evening to Smith & Wollensky, London. The restaurant is located just off The Strand and a short walk from Charing Cross station. On arrival at 7pm the restaurant was practically empty so we decided to prop up the bar and order an Applegrass cocktail, which was vodka, liquor 43, ginger, lemon and apple. It had a big ginger kick but was very refreshing. The boy opted for a Beefeater 24 infused with orange, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

We were taken to our table promptly at 7:30pm and then begun to realise why when the restaurant started to get very busy. I wouldn't come here without a reservation as despite being a large place, it was super packed by 8pm! After browsing the menu and munching on some crusty white bread and butter we ordered our starters of Burrata and tomato salad as well as the smoked organic salmon. Both were a generous portion, fresh and delicious.

Bread was also practically unlimited at this time, more was offered on several occasions. For our main course we opted for the rib eye, which was a special on the chalk board at £29.50 per person and the NY cut bone in sirloin 21oz at £52 per portion. We could have and probably should have shared the special T bone steak, which was £68. We both opted for medium rare and the steak was cooked to absolute perfection. For sides we shared the steakhouse fries, which were crispy fat chips rather than shoestring fries, the honey glazed carrots and the creamed spinach. The steak doesn't come with any sauces but ketchup and mustard were placed on the table. However, it's super succulent and juicy so a side sauce isn't really needed.

We washed everything down with two glasses of red for the boy and a glass of white for myself. Large glasses of each color range from £6.50 right up to £22 so there should be something for every budget and taste. We ended with a Limoncello for myself and a nutty Irishman coffee, which was Jameson, Baileys and Frangelico, although to be honest it wasn't worth £9 and we could have taken or left it.

All in all this is a great little restaurant for a date night. The bill was £210 so be warned, we didn't have desserts or a whole bottle of wine. It's not a cheap option so maybe save it for a special occasion. The restaurant is spotlessly clean and large. Tables are reasonably well spaced apart. The service is amazing, the staff cannot do enough to make you feel welcome and comfortable. The only issue we had was there was one unisex and one disabled toilet for use, which isn't enough for a restaurant of this size. However, despite this gripe we had a lovely evening and would love to come again sometime soon.