Flat Iron, Leeds – Restaurant Review
By Steve Crabtree, January 2024
When a new steak restaurant comes to town, meat lovers like myself would be foolish not to check it out. Flat Iron arrived in Leeds late in 2023, in the old Byron Burger building, on the corner of Lands Lane and it’s concept is simple: Affordable steaks for everyone.
Now, Flat Iron is a small chain, and sometimes you can be very underwhelmed with meat dishes from a chain restaurant. I won’t lie and say it didn’t cross my mind that this might be a one-off visit. But, I was eager to give the place a try, and I’m pleased that I did.
On a cold, early Tuesday evening as the city was packing up from work and going home, we walked into a busy Flat Iron restaurant, with barely a table free on the lower level. My wife and I were very pleasantly welcomed at the door, and taken across to a quiet table, by the window.
Not only were we furnished with menus and water straight away, but we also got a warm cup of beef dripping popcorn too. This was something we didn’t expect and, even if it’s something that isn’t quite the other half’s thing, I certainly lapped it up! Very nice, and incredibly moreish.
“Nice ambience”
Looking over the drinks available, Flat Iron have a decent selection and something for everyone. Cocktails, wine, and beer. I was tempted to go for a glass of wine, but ordered a pint of Pressure Drop Pale Fire at £6.50. Alex went for their Blood Orange and Bitters house fizz for £3. Two light and fresh drinks to start our evening.
Now, let’s get to the point. The menu. The steak. You’re wanting to know about the steak, right?
Well, Flat Iron has a small menu. No starters, just a steak, sides and sauces. And some beef specials. The steak it offers is their Flat Iron signature steak, and it’s £14. Seeing as the restaurant carries the same name, we both decided to go for that. The specials seemed tempting, but we wanted to see if this affordable steak would be worth shouting about. Medium rare for me, and well done for my other half. We plumped for three sides too.
As we waited for our food, we had a great view of the wintery after-work world of Leeds walking by. The restaurant is in a great location, as central as you could be, really. When we turned our heads in the other direction, the restaurant interior was equally as pleasing to the eye. Nothing fussy. Nicely set out, larger tables, smaller tables, banquette seating – and a lovely looking bar. It’s quite a relaxed place, but smart enough to feel like you’re out for a proper meal. We were really impressed with the lighting too – low, mood setting, but enough to see what was going on. There was a nice ambience in this place, and we were hoping the food could live up to the atmosphere. Check out the steak knives when you go as well – they’re fun!
“We’d chosen well”
We didn’t wait long for the food. The steaks arrived and looked succulent, cooked just the way we’d ordered. Cut already, we were able to drizzle our sauces over the meat and tuck straight in.
And the verdict? Well, for £14, I just have to tip my hat. My steak was lovely – very tasty and very juicy. Everything you wouldn’t expect with your pre-conceived ideas of meat in a chain restaurant! Across the table, my wife was even more impressed with her well-done version. She always orders a well-done steak, but not everywhere seems to want to cook them right through. They usually come back a little too pink for her liking, but not today – they’d done a good job. And I have to say, I tried a piece of her steak and it was more succulent than mine.
On the side, we’d chosen well. I adored the Crispy Bone Marrow Garlic Mash (£4). The topping was like meat-infused Rice Krispies (I know, but trust me it’s a good thing!) and I couldn’t get enough of it. Our Roast Aubergine with tomato, basil, and mozzarella (£4.50) was tasty and fresh too. And the homemade beef dripping chips (£4) were what we needed to round off our meal. They could perhaps have been a little thicker, but they were good.
“Great value, great hosting”
What we really liked was that here was a place that served up great food and did it swiftly. Ideal for us as we were heading to the theatre afterwards. And I think for what you get, Flat Iron is the perfect place to go with your spouse or your family if you want to go for a nice meal and have plans either side. It gives you great value, great hosting, and is in a perfect spot.
Before we threw our coats back on and headed back out into the cold, we were issued with tiny meat cleavers to hand in as we left the building. In return, they gave us a lovely vanilla ice cream, dipped in chocolate shavings.
A really nice touch, and a sure way to make sure we left Flat Iron replete and smiling.
Flat Iron, 9a Lands Lane, Leeds, LS1 6AW
Sun-Tues – 12:00-22:00
Wed-Thurs – 12:00-22:30
Fri-Sat – 12:00-23:00
