For a mere £14, you get an absolutely perfect 200g (7-oz.) steak cut from the tender shoulder of the cow, a cup of salad, a serving of beef-dripping popcorn, and on the way out the door, a cone of caramel ice cream topped with shavings from a block of dark chocolate. No wonder there’s a queue at peak hours. The menu is focused—no chicken, no pork, and vegetarians will have to eat from sides—plus good cocktails. Specializing makes the cooking expert and the juicy meat is over-the-top delicious.

Flat Iron owns its own herd of cows in Yorkshire and serves the same ingenious concept at a dozen London locations (others include one near the British Museum at 9 Denmark St., WC2, Tube: Tottenham Court Rd.; 17 Beak St., W1, off Carnaby St., Tube: Piccadilly Circus; and 88–90 Commercial St., E1, in Spitalfields, Tube: Liverpool Street). This version by Covent Garden is the best for killing time before your table is ready—and it’s also one of the few locations that serve the ice cream.