‘Invite’ – click here

Restaurant chain ‘Flat Iron’ makes its first ever debut outside of London…and they have only gone and picked little ol’ Cambridge!

Originating from Shoreditch back in 2012, Flat Iron is a simple concept which aims to serve good value beef steak produced from small British and Irish farms. Flat iron steak is cut from the shoulder of the cattle, which is generally a cheaper cut but is nicely marbled and gives a deep flavour. They also use more traditional breeds of cow with a slower rearing process, which they believe results in better marbling and a bolder, more juicy flavour. This makes the steaks more affordable while still being flavorful and delicious. Perfect timing during a cost of living crisis.

There is a big focus on the environment and sustainability at Flat Iron with the use of a mixed system to regenerate soil and increase carbon content. They understand that beef has a big carbon footprint, so try to focus their steaks on moderate portions of high quality beef rather than quantity at all costs. I don’t think there is a single foodie out there who would be against this idea. In terms of sourcing, they even have their own herd of 40 cows in Yorkshire, which makes things personal and gives you reassurance of where your beef is coming from.

Drinks Menu

With all that in mind, I was excited to get stuck in and see what Flat Iron has to offer. We started off with some drinks. There is a great selection of beers, with lager, pilsner, IPA’s, cider and alcohol-free. They do not do pints here and everything is served in 2/3 pint glasses. With a glass hovering around £4-5, this makes things feel more affordable without having to order a tiny half pint glass. Remember when full pints were this price? It wasn’t that long ago.

There is also a cocktail menu, wine list, and soft drinks available. I decided to go for a beer from the ‘today’s special’ board called “Small Town Hero”. This is a hazy IPA by local brewery “Three Blind Mice”, coming in at 3.7%. I thoroughly enjoyed this and thought it did a good job of offering a bold flavour for 3.7%. We discussed the beer on our Craft Beer In Cambridgeshire group and our community was in agreement that it is a very good beer, especially for its AVB. It is great to see a chain reach out to local breweries too, so extra points for that!

My guest had a lime & mint fizzy soft drink. He described it as “one of the limiest and mintiest drinks he has ever had”. It was beautifully presented in a textured glass with a generous amount of ice.

Beef Dripping Popcorn

There is a popcorn machine on site which provides free unlimited popcorn with your meal. This isn’t just regular popcorn mind – this is beef dripping popcorn! This is phenomenally moorish and I shamefully ended up having 3 cups worth 🤦‍♂️

The Steak

We were presented with a flat iron steak. This is their signature steak which comes to a mere £13 (2023). As mentioned previously, this is partly credited to it being a cheaper cut from the shoulder but also their moderate portions. The steak was not huge, not that you would expect it to be huge for that price. If I had to guess I would say it was 8oz? It was marvellously seasoned and came cooked exactly as I requested. We were given a choice of side sauces you go with it. Gerry picked mushroom sauce and I went for peppercorn but we both felt like they weren’t required as the seasoning, succulent steak, and bold flavours.

Next, was the wagyu steak. Until visiting Flat Iron tonight, I had always thought that I had tried a proper wagyu steak in the past but I never felt like it particularly stood out. That was, until I tried the wagyu here. The flavour was deep and bold. The steak was so tender and succulent which just melted in my mouth. This also didn’t need anything else to go with it at all. Absolutely superb!

The Sides

We picked a selection of sides which included ‘truffled macaroni and cheese’, ‘homemade beef dripping chips’, ‘roasted aubergine with mozzarella’, and green salad. All came to around £5 each and the salad even came to a mere £3.50 (2023). Even for side portions this is good value when compared to other places. I was especially impressed with the mac and cheese and green salad which were both fantastic.

So often steak restaurants will overlook the salad. Almost like having it on the menu should be met with contempt, to create this idea that “this is a meat only joint” and pander to the idea that meat eaters and vegetarians should be at war. Not here, the salad was fresh and covered in a delicious dressing. You can tell that a lot of care has been put into it. I also noticed some seeds which were a nice touch.

Marrow Mash

The ‘Crispy Bone Marrow Garlic Mash’ was absolutely superb and might be my favourite thing on the menu. The mash itself was soft and creamy with a subtle hint of garlic with crispy pops generously scattered across the bowl adding a satisfying texture. If you visit, make sure you don’t miss it!

Free dessert!

Another cost saving perk is that dessert is free at Flat Iron. Once you are finished with your main course, you are given a small token that you can exchange for a free ice cream as you leave. This is a nice touch, especially since Flat Iron are potentially missing out on the chance to charge you more money for dessert to provide it.

Why Flat Iron is different

Flat Iron feels like going back in time before prices got out of hand. Yes, you do get slightly smaller portions here than some steak joints who mindlessly try and cram as much on your plate as possible but that’s not what it is about. Flat Iron is about quality, savoring each bite, and knowing where your food is from while being able to relax knowing that everything is ethically sourced responsibly. Better still, you don’t leave feeling hungry and still get a good meal. If you aren’t one of these people who insists on waddling out of a restaurant bursting at the seams then you can save yourself a lot of money too. It’s also worth mentioning that the staff serving are superb.

There is a hefty 12.5% service charge, so factor that in before visiting. Flat Iron claims on their menu that this all goes to the staff, which is reassuring but it feels like a lot. The service charge is optional but could make things uncomfortable , if you would like to be in control of the tip without awkwardly having to explain why you want it changed.

I was very impressed with Flat Iron and I think it is a fine addition to the Cambridge Foodie scene. The restaurant is well presented, giving off a really pleasant and casual vibe. The staff here are all great and full of positive energy. Nothing was too much for them. As mentioned previously, lighting is quite dim which gives a relaxing atmosphere, though it did make my camera struggle with photos.

Don’t forget to join the Cambridge Foodies community for more!

Thanks for reading!