The Coal Shed is a British restaurant specialising in coal roasted steaks and seafood. The Coal Shed has a restaurant in London and Brighton; as you’d expect we dined at the London restaurant in One Tower Bridge, which is also home to other restaurants such as Gunpowder which is one of our favourites.

We had to walk in the rain for a bit to get to The Coal Shed London so we assumed the restaurant wouldn’t be as busy… we were wrong. Both floors were packed and there were quite a walk-ins waiting by the bar downstairs for table. 

The Coal Shed London is simple and contemporary in its design and has a cosy pub-like atmosphere. The service is a bit all over the place, good in parts – welcoming and friendly – and not so good in others – tardy and forgetful. Now, the food…

Starters

These honestly lacked flavour and were filled with much more with potatoes than short rib. 

We didn’t like this at all. Again, there was a distinct lack of seasoning on the beef but it was cooked well.

I didn’t get this dish. Firstly, it wasn’t sticky and was really salty. 

I had really high hopes for this, but I was really disappointed. The scallops themselves were fresh and cooked well, but the pork belly jam was insanely salty. 

Mains

Shiima ordered the chicken and her succinct assessment is “a simple Sunday roast, soft and juicy but would’ve preferred the gravy (pan juices) thicker”.

My ribeye steak was delicious and perfectly cooked medium-well. I had it with the Korean BBQ sauce which was a tad too sweet but good in moderation.

The truffle mac n cheese was amazing. By far the best dish we had. Good amount of creamy cheese, the macaroni was perfectly al dente, and the truffle wasn’t overpowering. 

And the chips… ohh yeah! Just right. Crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside 👌🏾.

Dessert!

Shiima ordered the warm chocolate cookie dough and it was delicious. Warm chocolatey indulgence, but the ice cream oddly wasn’t creamy enough. Was still tremendous though. 

I ordered the autumnal fruit cobbler, and it was decent. Really enjoyed the warm cake top with the rich clotted cream, but I didn’t like the autumnal fruit at the bottom at all. 

Verdict

Our dinner experience at The Coal Shed London was okay, although we expected a much better experience. The vibe is relaxing, the service was subpar, and the food was hit and miss. We’ll certainly be going back though, because we really want to share a Prime Rib steak with mac n cheese and chips… for that, The Coal Shed is perfect. We recommend for a steak dinner date, and for friends and family… children are welcome. The Coal Shed is moderately expensive, so do consider that as well. 

Cuisine:  British – Steak & Seafood 
Dress code: Casual 
Shiima’s Star Dish: Warm Chocolate Cookie Dough 
Amen’s Star Dish: Truffle Mac & Cheese 
Price: £30-40pp (excluding alcohol)
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

The Coal Shed London
One Tower Bridge
4 Crown Square, SE1 2SE
Reserve at OpenTable,
Or call 020 3384 7272