Flat Iron Leeds review: I tried the stunning steak restaurant with affordable prices that's deserving of the hype

London-born steakhouse Flat Iron has arrived in Leeds and the pessimist in me feared it would be another mediocre chain restaurant, serving soulless vanity food deserving of a skewering.

Since opening in late November with a Wagyu steak giveaway, the restaurant has become a word-of-mouth phenomenon. Everywhere I looked on social media, people in Leeds were tucking into Flat Iron steaks and sharing their verdict.

As it turned out, there was no need to worry. Flat Iron is absolutely deserving of the hype surrounding its expansion.

There is an image of exclusivity around steak dinners and this has only been heightened by the cost-of-living crisis. Fortunately, you can get a pretty special one at Flat Iron without breaking the bank.

I went for the classic Flat Iron steak, priced modestly at £14. The cut was delicious, a succulent treat only made more mouthwatering with lashings of peppercorn sauce. Served medium-rare and seasoned to perfection, each slice was heavenly.

Steak aficionados keen for a flashier cut do have other options. Flat Iron offer Scottish bavette steak, as well as sirloin and marbled Wagyu. The Wagyu is sourced just 40 miles from Leeds, in the North Yorkshire town of Thirsk. They are reared by Charles Ashbridge, a third-generation beef farmer.

We filled the table out with some sides, ordering beef dripping chips, crispy bone marrow garlic mash and truffled macaroni cheese. Each was a superb accompaniment but the chips were an absolute standout.

Thick-cut and meaty with a taste reminiscent of the best chip-shop chips you’ve ever eaten, they were type of chips you could gorge on mountains of. At £4, they were not outrageously expensive either. The mash was also £4, while the macaroni cheese will set you back £5.50.

All of this was eaten in an intimate and atmospheric setting, with elegant lighting and greenery. It was washed down with a Freedom Four lager, a light and crisp tipple served in a 2/3 pint glass.

Service was impeccable and it is Flat Iron’s quirks that make the experience so memorable. You are welcomed to your table with a cup of warm popcorn and at the end of the meal, given a tiny cleaver token you can exchange for an ice cream on your way out. They are small details but important ones.

The ice cream is worthy of a mention too. Flat Iron serve Tahitian vanilla with chocolate powder dusted on top and it was an absolute thing of beauty. Eating it under festive lights as I walked through the city centre also made me feel a bit like I was in a cheesy Christmas film.

Flat Iron may be another chain but it has independent spirit and more importantly, superb food at reasonable prices. It has more than enough charm to stand out in an area densely populated by restaurants and I cannot see the hype dying down anytime soon.

Factfile

Address: 9A Lands Ln, Leeds, LS1 6AW

Telephone: N/A

Opening hours:

Sunday – Tuesday: 12:00-22:00

Wednesday – Thursday: 12:00-22:30

Friday – Saturday – 12:00-23:00

Website: https://flatironsteak.co.uk/restaurant/leeds/

Scores

Food: 10/10

Value: 9/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Service: 10/10