Liverpool Street Chop House and Tavern: Reviving the Legacy of the British Chop House

Step inside the newly launched Liverpool Street Chop House & Tavern and you feel a sense of London’s dining history humming through the walls. Part tavern, part chop house, this is both a nod to the City’s 17th-century eating houses and a modern reinvention, where heritage and produce are treated with equal reverence. 

Every extraordinary meal is elevated by the company. On this occasion, I was joined by three luminaries from the worlds of hospitality, design, and gastronomy. 

Martin Williams, the new CEO of the Evolv Collection (formerly D&D London), has had a distinguished career marked by leadership at some of the city’s most dynamic dining groups, including Rare Restaurants, M Restaurants, and Gaucho. His ethos of reinvention and dedication to excellence has been a driving force throughout his journey. Williams's vision for Evolv is to create venues that respect tradition while setting new trends in the hospitality industry. Under his guidance, Evolv has become synonymous with innovation, blending heritage with contemporary flair to offer unique dining experiences that resonate with both history and modernity.

“Liverpool Street Chophouse & Tavern is a respectful re-imagination of our founder, Sir Terence Conran’s Chophouse brand. Not only did Terence capture his wisdom in so many of his books, but we also took time out to talk the Conran family about our ideas for the Chophouse”. said Martin. “The opening of Chophouse & Tavern is part of our strategic vision for The Evolv Collection. We're creating iconic, recognisable brands that resonate with guests and stand the test of time. The Chop House brand proves that outstanding hospitality can be a force for positive change and sound investment.”

Alongside us was Ron Cregan, who kept me entertained with his insightful stories about London’s history, from Smithfield’s market to the origins of Porter beer.  His role as designer and brand historian is evident in every corner of the Liverpool Street Chop House. Cregan’s expertise is not merely decorative—his meticulous research into the lineage of the chop house comes alive in the restaurant’s every detail. His approach bridges the gap between past and present, ensuring that the space is as evocative as it is elegant.

Ron’s design is a masterclass in narrative. The dining room is a harmonious blend of exposed brickwork, dark wood panelling, and period light fixtures. Each element is purposeful, dark wood pallets, lifted by deep reds and blues, crisp white linen, and elegant brass and gold details with mirrors bearing gold script. The brand celebrates London's heritage with the tagline 'Born in the City of London,' nodding to the area's historic trade guilds, including the Cutlers.

Completing the table was Mike Reid, the renowned chef whose culinary vision animates the menu. Reid’s career is a tapestry of international experience and British grounding, having honed his craft in kitchens from London to Australia (Le Gavroche, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Melbourne's Attica and Vue de monde), has crafted a menu celebrating elevated gastro-tavern fare. 

His touch is unmistakable: there is a respect for provenance and seasonality, balanced by a willingness to reinterpret classics. The menu showcases historical dishes such as Pea Soope from a 1669 recipe alongside signature specialities including Lamb Barnsley Chop with Anchovy Dressing and Beef Shin & Oyster Suet Pudding. For sharing, guests can enjoy dishes such as, Pigs Head, Roast Chicken Pie, and Ray Wing with Lemon & Caper Butter Sauce. The restaurant offers a unique oyster selection ranging from classic preparations to more adventurous versions with Beef Consommé and Horseradish, whilst premium steaks are sourced from The Ethical Butcher, including Rib Eye, Fillet, Sirloin, and Heart of Rump.

The Evolv Collection has partnered with The Ethical Butcher to exclusively offer a menu where all meat including steaks is sourced from British farms practising regenerative agriculture and exceptional animal husbandry.

For me, the beef is the star, and rightly so. Grazed on Salisbury Plain, calves kept stress-free with their mothers, the cattle live the good life—and it shows on the plate. A rib-eye on the bone arrives glistening, marbled with a buttery richness that crackles and smokes on the grill. Slice in and the juices run, deep and savoury, carrying that unmistakable depth of grass-fed beef. Martin explained “keeping the calves with their mother longer, reduces stress, and as stress creates sinew, you’ll find no toughness, no sinew here” —just clean, honest flavour that lingers long after the last bite. 

A distinctive feature of the dining experience is the cutlery itself. The restaurant proudly sources its knives from Blenheim Forge, the renowned London-based bladesmiths celebrated for their craftsmanship. Each knife is a small marvel—weighty, sharp, and perfectly balanced—reflecting a modern lineage that honours the traditions of British steelwork. Holding one, you engage directly with both the artistry of Blenheim Forge and the enduring heritage of chop houses, the patina of each blade a testament to the generations who have dined before.

But this is no one-note meat temple. The chicken pie is a masterclass in simplicity: golden pastry giving way to meat so tender and sweet it reminds you what chicken is supposed to taste like. Pies filled with ox cheek arrive steaming, dark and glossy, the kind of dish you lean over protectively as though someone might steal it. Even the sides are memorable—crisp roast potatoes cooked in dripping, vegetables kissed by smoke and char.

Starters lean into British tradition with playful touches: a smoked haddock Scotch egg whose yolk runs like molten gold, or a Welsh rarebit sharpened with ale and mustard that clings to its toast in bubbling strands. And puddings, yes puddings as Mike doesn’t do desserts, are proudly old-school: sticky toffee, spotted dick, and a trifle assembled at the table, layers of custard, sponge and cream piled high nostalgia given its due.

Drinks matter here too. A unique beer offering including Guinness served in traditional tankards and ‘Chop Chop’ their own brand lager, an 80-bin wine list including 20 exclusive wines from crisp English Bacchus to rich Malbecs built for beef, while oysters practically demand a glass of Champagne, and an innovative cocktail list targeted at the city crowd.

This is food with depth and story, but also food that’s easy to love. At its best, Liverpool Street Chop House & Tavern gives you that rare feeling: as if you’re eating something both timeless and entirely of the moment.

Today, Liverpool Street Chop House and Tavern embraces this legacy while shedding the dust of time. The result is a space that tells a story—one that is as relevant now as it was centuries ago.

The Liverpool Street Chop House and Tavern stands as a bridge between epochs. Its revival is not a mere exercise in nostalgia but an act of cultural stewardship. Chophouses began as humble establishments catering to the city’s working men—places where hearty fare was served with little fuss but plenty of character. Over time, chop houses evolved into gathering places for merchants, artists, and politicians alike, celebrated for their convivial atmosphere and robust dishes.

In this latest incarnation, the spirit of conviviality is alive and well. The staff, attentive yet unpretentious, move through the dining room with a sense of genuine pride.

It is a rare thing to encounter a restaurant that so fully understands its place in history while forging confidently ahead. Here, the past is not simply remembered—it is relived, reimagined, and reborn, one extraordinary chop at a time.

Liverpool Street Chop House | British Restaurant & Tavern

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