Best meat restaurants in London

St John (26 St John Street, EC1, 020 7251 0848) makes a self-conscious virtue of its over-the-top carnivorous credentials. Chef Fergus Henderson is a deceptive-looking meat eater: a mild-mannered, soft-spoken Harry Potter lookalike, he is one of the gurus of the carnivorous classes. Over the past 18 months or so the food has become less hardcore (less offal), but you can still find tripe, spleen and pig's trotters on the menu. And even non-meat eaters have to salute the witty use of crispy fried pig's ears as a garnish on pea soup.

Butler's Wharf Chop House (36E Shad Thames, SE1, 020 7403 3403) Sir Terence Conran's chunky and solid contribution to the carnivorous canon is apparently one of the most successful restaurants in his group. I can see why. The steak and kidney puddings served here are the only type of Dome I would introduce foreigners to, there is also the entertaining option of ordering it with oysters for added British authenticity. Claret comes in jugs and meat in generous portions. Here, as at St John, the emphasis is on well-chosen raw materials, selected for their flavour and provenance and then having the kitchen do the minimum possible needed to bring them to the table.