Please note, Pitt Cue has now closed. Time Out Food editors, July 2019.
The most memorable things about Pitt Cue’s first restaurant on Newman street (which they opened after the success of their van under Hungerford Bridge) were the insanely long queues and crazily good pulled pork. Now they’ve closed the Soho site, ditched the street food and opened a shiny restaurant in the shadow of the Gherkin where you can – gasp – actually book.
Gone are the metal trays piled with meat and washed down with pickleback shots. Say hello to white china, napkins, a long wine list and cuts of beautiful meat. This is a completely new animal – let’s call it Pitt Cue Premium. That’s not to say it’s bad, it most certainly isn’t. It’s just very different.
The food continues to be impressive, and still a heart attack waiting to happen. Melt-in-the-mouth short rib beef came with dangerously delicious bone marrow soaked bread. Bone marrow mash as divine as ever, while carrot salad with cow curd provided a welcome change of texture.
What’s missing is the intimate atmosphere and casual vibe of the previous incarnation. Instead, this is a more corporate set up, the hipster crowd replaced by boozing city boys. It feels like Pitt Cue has grown up, but lost its soul along the way.