Steam & Rye

Steam and Rye is big, bold and in your face and it’s not remotely pretentious, despite it’s location in the heart of the city. This makes it a refreshing change from a lot of other bars in the area.
I visited because I’d seen a photo of the Five Dollar Shake cocktail on Instagram. It comes with a fab lolly, an oreo cookie and several marshmallows on top of it and it’s every bit as delicious as I’d dreamed of. My sister, showing slightly more restraint, had a creamy Monica Lewinsky cocktail but as it came drizzled in chocolate sauce and also had a fair amount of marshmallows on top, it can’t have been that much healthier. If you’re visiting Steam and Rye then the diet has to go out the window.
The restaurant has an Americana theme, and it’s been designed to look like an old fashioned train station, By the booths, there is computer screen with scenery going past so you feel slightly like you’re eating on a train. However, I’ve never had such amazing, hearty fare on a train. I tucked into a juicy lobster and fries, which I thought was excellent value at £16 — beat that Burger And Lobster! My sister, meanwhile, had a steak. There are usually good deals on steaks and if you’re visiting in Jan 2016, it’s half price on steak and half price on cocktails all night on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I don’t do dry January and deals like this are part of the reason why!
The table next to us were a big group of eight girls, perhaps on a hen do or something and I thought the venue would be ideal for large groups as its so kitsch. Also, on the desserts menu, they do a large sundae that’s big enough for 8 people to share. It is humungous. I don’t know where the find the glassware to serve it, but if you’re thinking of ordering it you wouldn’t need a main course as well. Just go for that dessert and a side of olives or nuts, to offset the sugar rush you’re bound to get.

Last week the bestie and I headed over to try out Steam & Rye, there had been so much hype about it that it just had to be done. With Kelly Brook being one of the names behind it, of course I was going to have to visit in case she was just swanning around!
On a Monday evening there are two great menu offers; all you can eat shrimp/​bbq ribs with chips and ‘slaw for £15 or 50% off your food and drink bill if you’re under 30! The waiter did make a great point, if there’s a few of you, get the shrimp/​bbq meal and half the offerings. That way you won’t get sick of just eating one. We opted for the 50% off option as we wanted to try other items on the menu.
I began with baked beans and bulled pork served with corn bread; I totally wish I could make this myself, it was amazing! Really reminded me of old school cowboy dinners! The bestie had chicken wings, she totally devoured them!
Main course, I went for the cheese & bacon burger (I think this is becoming a little too obvious now!) and the bestie had pulled pork.
I have to say the burger was pretty damn good, a little too greasy but still had awesome flavours. The chips were epic, I love it when they have a little skin left on. The bestie had no complaints about her meal!
We didn’t have room for desert!
I do just have to comment on the service; it was a little slow and the waiter was very forgetful. It took him over 10 mins to bring out the Mayo the bestie asked for, we ended up asking soemone else to get us some in the end! We also had no idea how to order as they don’t state it’s table service or order at the bar as we were left waiting for quite some time. It wasn’t even that busy!
Despite that I will be heading back there with the partner in crime as I know it’s right up his street. The value for money was really good too. Without 50% discount we paid £14 each including tip! The venue itself is pretty stunning too, being inside an old bank and having a train carriage in it, it does make it a little different from the normal.

Having heard good things about Steam & Rye for months, I finally visited on a Friday evening for post-​work drinks a few months back. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and was probably unsure of the atmosphere of a bar owned by Kelly Brook.
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The bar is big and caters for the masses, but has also managed to hold onto a strong personality — it’s set within a rather grand building and has numerous balconies, coves, and a stage where a live band were setting up.
The music was an unashamed and welcome 90s mix — who doesn’t like to dance to Peter André’s ‘Mysterious Girl’ after a hard week at work?! Stick around for more than 30 minutes and you’ll marvel at the drama they have injected into Steam & Rye — from a party of city slickers ordering a firework-​clad champagne volcano, to a group of beautiful dancers flash-​mobbing the mezzanine stage with their moves, there’s enough going on to keep you entertained, without detracting from a good evening with mates.
The negatives are fairly minor — it took a while to queue for a drink (but no longer than most London bars), and a few people in the crowd seemed a little snobby — but it hardly seems fair to hold this against Steam & Rye.
Congrats Kelly — a fine establishment, and I look forward to my next visit.

We came here for a friend’s birthday fully intending to spend the whole night there. After ordering our cocktails we were told by another friend that one of the bouncers had made racist comments towards our German friend who was still in the queue. Completely unacceptable and of course we left immediately. Will not be returning.

So when I walked into this place I quickly
realised their drinks were expensive. No problem, Friday night, friends bday, all good. Except the drinks were not good. Bad bad cocktails. Music confused. Not sure if it’s the bar of the moment but it’s not good. Go somewhere else.

We had a company Christmas party here and it was really amazing .The venue is really nice, and they served non-​alcoholic mojitos. The finger food was also really tasty. In the end they also came out with cocktails on fire, which was a real entertainment. :)

I’ve been here twice now for two very different occasions.
The first was for their all-​you-​can-​eat shrimp and ribs. What a deal.
I was a little worried because my bf is quite the human garbage disposal, and all-​you-​can-​eat tends to bring out the Homer Simpson inside of him (really doesn’t it kind of do that to us all?), but I shouldn’t have. The staff were egging him on, each plate he cleared was followed with an offer of another. I was pleasantly surprised.
The food was great too, the rib meat fell off the bone, and the shrimp were crispy coated with the perfect amount of spice. And of course the cocktails don’t hurt either.
My second visit was for a work leaving do, and it involved way more cocktails than ribs. You can easily get carried away with all the crazy drink offerings, like the one served in an old-​fashioned lantern, complete with a light! I saw another girl drinking it and ordered simply by pointing and saying, I want that. The Monica Lewinskey also goes down a treat, topped with cream and sprinkles.
The music and atmosphere are super fun, and I wish I could’ve made it to their 4^th of July party.

Yes, I’m definitely a fan. I came here after reading an article in the Eurostar magazine about the best cocktails in London. I had one that came in a boot, one that tasted like a milkshake and best of all, one that came in a popcorn bucket. Yes, this place is gimmicky, yes half your drink is made up of ice, but considering how beautiful the creations are — quirky american art at its best — it’s definitely worth a look.

Ordered: Beers
Price: £4 roughly
Review: What a mess. Came here within the first 3 weeks of opening. Very disorganised barmen, and somewhat too large and too messy inside. I don’t know. Maybe I’m being too harsh or I was having a grumpy day… just was not ‘feeling the vibes’. A lot of bars in the city to choose from… not my Plan A for the night.

This place is new? Oh! It’s got 3 floors? Oh! It’s intended to be a high class? Eh, not quite the opinion I came away with.
I thought is was really dated, actually. Only for reading it’s new, I would have thought it was some old outdated bar from the 90s that needed refurbing!
So, I only experienced the bar at the entrance level. And it was CHEESE-​EE! Cheesy and tacky indeed.
The cocktails were okay, but gimicky, coming in crazy receptacles. And I’d say overpriced.
There was a live band. They were okay, if a little cheesy in a kinda Wedding Singer kinda way.
The thing that made my night there was the crowd I was with, not the venue.
There was a big spectacle as we were leaving. These diminutive little girls appeared abovr the bar, that looked like they needed feeding, dressed minimally, garish and fringed. They were annnounced with great flourish and then posed for a long time. We all looked at each other and asked «Are they going to do anything?» Eventually they animated, wiggling and strutting. That didn’t take much skill or really demand our attention. Definitely dated, very tacky and sexist to boot! We all left.
So, Steam & Rye — forgettable and I’ll experience no regret if I don’t visit the place again.

I had a light lunch here on a Wednesday in early January. The food is well executed, with juicy ribs in a very good barbeque sauce, a crisp crab cake on nice guacamole, and a very cheesy macaroni side.
My issue with the place is that it is trying so hard to be… I don’t know what… A copy of the Texas Embassy? A replica of a train dining car? Some sort of hipster cocktail joint where the bartenders all have moustaches?

This is a classy place, if you have standards lower than a skirting board and a fondness for z-​list celebrities.

I quite like the idea that’s behind this bar … the kind of Great Gadsby style with jazz live bands and flags, but in the end it’s a bit … blah. That’s how it feels inside. It’s a nice idea, but it’s not that impressive in the way they put it together. The only room I really liked was the small dinning room on the mezzanine which was truly quirky with a wall of old suitcases and Victorian bird cages hanging from the low ceiling.
The cocktails a nice and come in gimmicky cups and glasses. Dead Man Boots came in boots, a drinks based on cinema in a popcorn buckets. Cute for 10min until one finds out that the huge glasses don’t hold much of a drink. Ice, ice and more ice.
To reserve a table of 10 you would need to have a £500 bill or you loose your £100 deposit. Rather steep for a club that wasn’t THAT busy on a Saturday!

I’m not generally a fan of cocktails or checking out the next best bar or lounge, but I’ve giving this place 2 thumbs up!
After the bf helped me burn off calories in the gym, he suggested the Steam & Rye for some nice calorie-​fille drinks! I can’t remember what I ordered, but it arrived in a little red bucket with an oreo and passionfruit. It was delicious! I recall 2 drinks costing us around £25, so its not exactly cheap.
The atmosphere seemed quite grand, with really high ceilings, and it was very American in there, with 2 big flags hanging there, along with with an upside down lady Liberty by the door. The place was jam packed, though we forced our way to the front for a bit of dancing. I loved the band that was playing, and after each song, we swore we’d leave, but they just kept pumping so many good tunes that we ended up staying until their time was up.
On the downside, it was incredibly loud in there (well, there’s a live band :)), and we weren’t too sure whether the bar tender could hear our order, but he got it right. It was also too dark to read the menu. I had to hold the drink menu under the bar counter where the light fixtures were.
On the plus side, they are open till 3am! The drinks look really fun, and the menu itself looked really fun and interactive.

I’m actually quite surprised no-​one has reviewed this yet! Steam & Rye is a massive 3-​bars-​in-​1 venue that’s been mooted by the Nudge as inspired by the Great Gatsby. You can see why, with the glitz, glamour, and all around highly entertaining chaos of the main floor which is modelled on Grand Central in NYC. The basement bar is a top class cocktail lounge while the 1^st floor is a quirky area called the «Cargo Hold», so basically there is something for everyone.
After a tough workout session at the gym, Becky H and I stopped by to check it out. We really were only going for a quick drink and then home for dinner, but damn if we didn’t get suckered in. The live band playing that night was incredible, blasting out a mix of 1940−50s classic jive numbers and a host of current top hits. It probably didn’t hurt that the lead singer was a chiselled and charming which led to a strong showing of ladies swooning over him in the «pit».
Drinks aren’t cheap with cocktails ringing in at £10−14 but you can get wine/​prosecco and beer for a reasonable price. But the cocktails are cool with Becky’s coming in a red mini-​pail, others passing us in glasses styled as popcorn boxes and boots, and my old fashioned being impeccably prepared.
While we didn’t eat, the food looked pretty tasty and is very affordably priced. I’m looking forward to going back to try the mouthwatering burgers at some point (maybe the next Burger Quest?). There is a considerable amount of seating (it is a 500 capacity venue after all) but, given its popularity and the great deals during the week, you’d be well served to book in advance.