The best BBQ restaurants in London

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Ailis Brennan7 November 2019

Barbecue weather is almost upon us, and tongs around the country are being dusted off in their thousands.

You may fancy yourself as a bit of a Pitmaster, but do you do it like these guys?

London is home to some seriously smoking barbecue joints, who love to take things slow (and low) with a bit of flaming peril to liven things up.

Whether you’re in need of inspiration for your flame-taming shenanigans, or are looking to get that chargrilled flavour in a less weather-dependent setting, check out our pick of some of the best barbecue restaurants in the capital.

Bodean’s

This BBQ joint has going for over a decade now, fanning the flames of the smokehouse trend that has sweeped the London dining scene in more recent years. Andre Blais brings his brand of barbecue from his native Kansas City, and serves it up in almost every way you can imagine. From hot dogs stacked with pulled pork to oak smoked house ribs, everything always comes with an option to add more slow cooked meat.

Various locations, bodeansbbq.com

Smokestak

Smoking sensation David Carter went from street food success to bricks-and-mortar acclaim when he took his slow-cooking mastery to Shoreditch. Back in the old days, it was the brisket roll that made Smokestak’s name, and it continues to be a star of the show now. Thick slabs of treacly meat are stacked beyond reasonable jaw-span and served with pickled red chillies - that’s no ordinary sarnie.

35 Sclater Street, E1 6LB, smokestak.co.uk

Berber & Q

Barbecuing isn’t a wholly American pursuit, as Berber & Q is happy to let you know. Josh Katz and co do it North African style with the necessary sweet and smoke coming from fragrant spices and fresh herbs. Yes, the meat is superb here, but vegetarians can also rejoice at the cauliflower shawarma, expertly charred, spiced to perfection and drizzled generously with tahini, pine nuts and pomegranate kernels.

338 Acton Mews, E8 4EA, berberandq.com

Smokehouse

Things get personal with ingredients at Islington’s Smokehouse. Noble Inns, the restaurant’s owners, champion small family suppliers and “only deal with people they like”. High quality meats and Cornish fish is smoked and grilled over sustainable English oak, served as traditional British fare with global twists. Slow cooked pork belly is served with black pudding sauce, salsify rosti and bok choi, while a starter of lamb heart comes with charred broccoli and sumac sour cream.

63-69 Canonbury Road, London N1 2DG, smokehouseislington.co.uk

Smoking Goat

Smoking Goat

This Shoreditch restaurant takes its barbecuing to Bangkok, adding a Thai twist to its slow grilled meat fish. Just as skilled as a bar as it is a smokehouse, much of Smoking Goat’s menu comes under “Drinking Food”, a delectable list featuring skewers of chicken heart, barbecued Tamworth pork and cornish octopus. The eponymous barbecued goat is served on the bone in a spicy turmeric massaman, ready and waiting to be soaked up by some lardo fried rice.

64 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ, smokinggoatbar.com

Temper Soho

A master of London’s barbecues, Neil Rankin is more than familiar with the restaurants on this list. Stints as head chef at both Pitt Cue and Smokehouse have lead Rankin to Temper, a barbecue pit of his own making. Temper Soho serves up slow cooked meats with a nod to South American cooking, serving up beef fat tacos and duck carnitas. Temper also has a City location where the grilling comes with Indian inspired flavours, and keep your eyes peeled for their latest venture opening in Covent Garden this May.

25 Broadwick Street, Soho, W1F 0DF, temperrestaurant.com

The Big Easy

Big Easy

This rodeo rolled into town quite some time ago with the launch of its original Kings Road venue, but since then the popularity of Big Easy’s taste of the American smokehouse cooking has warranted new outposts in Covent Garden and Canary Wharf. The Bar.B.Q serves up the likes of dry-rubbed St Louis pork ribs and Hog-Tastic Carolina pork, shredded, pulled and sliced.

WC2, SW3, E14, bigeasy.co.uk

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