TIME AND LEISURE MAGAZINE restaurant review JW Steakhouse
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Restaurant Review: JW Steakhouse, Bourbon Bar, Park Lane.
There’s something calming about entering the newly renovated JW Steakhouse. Maybe it’s the golden glow that wraps the room, or the hint of woodsmoke and aged bourbon in the air. Dining here feels like an immersion in American culture, where quality meat and rare bourbons take centre stage.
Set within the Grosvenor House on Park Lane, JW Steakhouse has long prided itself on serving hearty USDA prime beef and classic steakhouse fare. But it’s not all red meat and manliness. The space manages to blend all you’d expect from New York steakhouse tradition with a fresh, modern style that feels inclusive and inviting. As you settle into your comfy booth, you could be in a bar, a brasserie, or a dining room. The space somehow serves all three without losing anything.
The new interiors nod to the golden era of American steakhouses. Rich walnut wood panelling, rust-orange booths, and checkerboard floors evoke 20th-century New York and 19th-century Prohibition-era indulgence, and the warm amber lighting gives everything a moody, intimate glow.
The menu offers all you'd want for a celebratory meal or a lazy Sunday feast. We ordered from the set Sunday Roast menu and were surprised at the reasonable price: two courses for £35 or three for £45, which is excellent value given the surroundings. We ordered a 9oz USDA fillet steak, pink and tender, and a full roast with all the trimmings: crisp Yorkshire pudding, decent piping hot roasties, seasonal vegetables, and lashings of horseradish and gravy. The beef was listed as Aberdeen Angus sirloin, but it was actually American beef. Noticing the difference in flavour, I got straight onto Google for a crash course in global beef. Here, USDA beef sits alongside UK and Irish cuts, offering diners a rare chance to taste the differences side by side. American beef, corn-fed and aged for tenderness, is lighter in colour and has a subtler flavour. It’s buttery, almost creamy. In contrast, British and Irish beef, which is more often grass-fed, tends to be deeper in flavour, with more iron and chew. For those raised on one, the other can be a surprise. Americans may find British beef too earthy. Europeans may find USDA cuts too delicate with an unfamiliar aftertaste. Luckily, JW caters for both camps.
JW Steakhouse has more on offer than steak, of course. The seafood section includes lobster, scallops and prawns; for starters, there’s fresh tuna tartare, prawn cocktail, with the Maryland crab cake being particularly delicious. There are a couple of veggie starters and mains, but if you don’t want to see big, juicy, sizzling steaks all around you, this steakhouse is no place for you!
The Bourbon Bar is set within the restaurant and really is the Mecca of bourbon. Over 500 bottles of rare and rarer bourbons line the cabinets, glistening behind the glass. It’s the biggest collection outside of the US. Prices range from sippable £10 to a staggering £3,500. But don’t worry, you won’t accidentally order the wrong one and have to remortgage your house. Enter Robert, the in-house bourbon expert, or as I dubbed him, The Willy Wonka of Bourbon. He’s part sommelier, part storyteller, and wholly entertaining. Tell him your preferences and he’ll whip up a bespoke Old Fashioned or let you sample something surprising from the Buffalo Trace collection: Weller, Pappy Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, E.H. Taylor, and 1792.
The cocktail list, as expected, leans heavily on whiskey and bourbon. Standouts include the Smoked Old Fashioned with Eagle Rare Bourbon, Sherry-Toasted Oak, bitters, and sugar, crafted by Robert from his magic trolly! Mint & Derby has a bourbon base with fig liqueur, jasmine vermouth, crème de menthe, and orange bitters. This is certainly a cocktail list for grown-ups.
If you fancy a cigar after your meal, step onto the private, heated terrace, perfect for a post-prandial smoke and a spot of people-watching on Park Lane. The cigar list ranges from £13 to £45, catering to a wide range of tastes and budgets.
Desserts are as comforting and unpretentious as the mains: warm apple pie and bread and butter pudding. But the real icon here is the JW Cheesecake. Light yet rich, creamy yet firm, it’s the one dish everyone says is a must. If, like me, you didn’t leave room for it, you can buy one to take home from the hotel’s deli near the entrance (£16).
The wine list echoes the restaurant’s opulence and affordability, with bottles starting around £40. We ordered Salt & Stone Pinot Noir, a nicely balanced red that drinks well above its £48 price tag. You can spend money, of course, with a single glass of Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot going for £32.
Whether you’re in for a £35 roast or a £400 dram of bourbon, JW Steakhouse makes you feel very well looked after.
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