The Butcherclub, Rotterdam
The Butcherclub, with a name like this it was only a matter of time before we tried it out. This restaurant is basically a steakhouse that opens only for lunch, what a wonderful idea! So we went early on a Friday afternoon, arriving at about noon. And thank goodness we did because 30 minutes later the place was packed and there were even people having lunch standing. You can make reservations, so I would suggest doing that, especially if you come with more than two people. It’s a very small restaurant, quite cozy, and all the tables are high bar-like tables with barstools. But we’re not there to look at the interior, we came for steak!
We take our seats and look at the menu, which is on the wall. This can sometimes be annoying at restaurants, I once had lunch on a terrace and asked for a menu, and was told it was inside on the wall – completely useless. But the Butcherclub is small enough that everyone can see the menu from where they’re sitting. The appetizers are various cold cuts, and the main dishes are steaks and a few fish options. There are only three sides you can add to your main: french fries, baked potato, or a salad. We decided to have some bread and pata negra to start with. The bread was not really worth mentioning, so we won’t mention it any more! We disagreed regarding the pata negra. I liked it, but P prefers it drier and with a stronger flavor.
For our main dish we ordered the entrecôte (rare) with béarnaise sauce and french fries. And this is where the Butcherclub really delivered. The steak was tender and flavorful, though could’ve been a tiny bit redder. The beef crackling on the side was a nice touch and provided a great crunch. The freshly made béarnaise sauce was some of the best we’ve had in a long time: light, slightly acidic, and the aniseed taste of tarragon came through nicely. The double-fried shoestring fries with chimichurri mayonnaise were equally great. We saw people having picanha and the western steak, and they both looked very good as well. We really enjoyed our lunch, and we’ll be back for more steak and fries!
