Jackson + Rye (Bar, Restaurant)

Top 10 things you need to know about Jackson & Rye:

1) In the City of London, when you’re working 9 to 5 (what a way to make a livin’), the prospect of sustenance in Soho’s cool restaurants, or the freedom found in the trendy bars of Shoreditch seem a tad too far for your weary bones to travel. You want to hang out with your colleagues immediately, locally, and only a short stumble from Bank station. Well, hello there Jackson & Rye, you tasty looking sailor!

2) One half upbeat bar, crammed full of hedge funders, insurance brokers, risk managers and number crunchers, munching on an exciting range of bar snacks, discussing money, politics and religion, prompted by the close proximity of the Bank of England, the Guildhall, and St Paul’s Cathedral. The other half is a New York brasserie where junior execs talk cricket, interior design and weekend city breaks, reclined on leather banquettes, concealed by the gauze net privacy curtains part-obscuring the harsh reality outside the large windows.

3) Even if you don’t wear a suit jacket to work, don’t let your prejudices towards those who do stop you from ordering an eye-crossingly strong, illegal negroni. They love the way this simple post-work cocktail mangles their minds as much as you do (and you agree, such good value for under a tenner).

4) Jackson & Rye’s accessible prices persuade popularity. During the day, these same City workers wield company credit cards like croupiers when taking clients to lunch at nearby restaurants Goodman, Coq D’Argent, Hawksmoor and The Ned. Come nightfall, however, when maintaining this lifestyle with their own goddamn money, they are kept stylish, fed and watered at Jackson & Rye.

5) Its Prohibition era, secret saloon appearance - Art Deco fittings, 1930s posters, booze locked in cages - is somewhat reminiscent of the poshness of MASH in Soho, only not so prim.

6) The primary contraband here is whisky. Ask to see The List; a weighty tome of the best whiskeys, ryes and bourbons in London, broken up into flavour camps such as Salty Seadogs, Breakfast of Champions and Spice Up Your Life (as homage to the best Spice Girls track, one must assume). Tipples range from the £5 Fighting Cock bourbon to an Evan Williams 1982 bourbon for £50 a dram.

7) Spirits, beers and wines are also available and potentially recommended by cheery chap, Arnas. If you’re lucky, and he’s on duty, you’re in safe hands. His recommendation of the Cave de Hunawihr Riesling Réserve is a fine, full ripe accompaniment to the oily, rich sea bass with crab butter; side of broccoli and almonds, a must.

8) There are varied carnivorous daydreams on the menu such as lemon sole meunière, lamb rump, crispy duck salad, and shrimp burgers. However, Jackson & Rye is essentially a steak restaurant. It’s Black Angus meat, aged for at least 42 days, and blackened on a robata grill comes in assorted sizes and cuts; sirloin, fillet, bone-in rib, ribeye, veal chops and a winning 250g bavette (again, excellent value below £15). The smiles of your comrades will be even more gleaming when you order the beautifully presented chicken liver parfait appetiser; a cloud inside your mouth. The brisket croquettes with horseradish creme fraiche and pickled red cabbage are also reportedly sigh-inducing.

9) The singular nagging issue that prevents Jackson & Rye from becoming one of the best restaurants in the square mile is heat, or lack thereof. Across the board, cooling of food occurs rapidly, so eat quickly.

10) Nevertheless, you and your associates have such a gay old time that you decide to return for breakfast tomorrow morning....read more