Restaurant review Meat People, 4-6 Essex Road, London.

It is currently being said in the foodie blogosphere that meat is on the march in London. Restaurants with names such as Meat Liquor and Meateasy have recently opened or acquired a modicum of fame; and the turn-of-the-century hopes of veggies everywhere, that the rest of us would forgo dead animals in aid of the planet, our stomachs and the animals themselves is yet to be fulfilled.

In fact, meat never went away; rather, the fad is for sticking this solid, authentic word into the name of establishments to signify the solidity and authenticity of the food inside. It is also presumably intended to tell vegetarians they might be better off next door, and in the case of Meat People, in Islington, north London, I imagine the pun is intended, too: come here to meet people, among like-minded people who do meat.

This is a steakhouse that does cocktails. It has a short menu; trendy, charming and young waiting staff; stylish décor; excellent beef; better mains than starters; better desserts than mains; fine fish; and superb historic and cultural pedigree. It's a Grade II-listed building that used to be called Alfredo's, before it was called S&M, for the sausage and mash chain. And it featured in Frank Roddam's 1979 film Quadrophenia, starring Phil Daniels and Leslie Ash, inspired by the album of the same name by The Who. For all these reasons, I suspect it will become a local favourite.

Read more at http://www.independent.co.uk/