Paternoster Chop House near St Pauls is also known as the “First Dates Restaurant” as it’s the location for the channel 4 dating programme so of course it’s always been high on my restaurant hit list to visit!
I visited in May 2019 with my boyfriend for our anniversary so it seemed fitting that we decided to book a table at Paternoster Chop House to celebrate.
The restaurant itself is in Paternoster Square which overlooks St Pauls Cathedral and inside it’s got a really lovely atmosphere – I was quite surprised at how different it seemed from the TV show where they use white linen tablecloths and make the restaurant seem brighter and more neutral whereas in reality it’s cosy and rustic with lovely wooden tables.
Paternoster Chop House – What We Ordered
In typical first dates style, we grabbed a seat at the bar for a drink where we ordered a bottle of white wine (£25) and enjoyed the atmosphere before heading to our table in the restaurant. We started off by ordering the house baked bread with salted butter (£3) which was amazing; it was served as a mini loaf, slightly warm, crusty on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside. I loved the detailing of the branded paper that the butter was wrapped up in. My partner ordered the pea and smoked ham hock soup as a starter from the set menu (£25 for two courses) which I tasted and it was delicious. I’ve always been a big fan of soup – a bowl of soup and some crusty bread and I’m a happy Freya!
For mains, I chose the 250g flat iron steak (£22) and ordered a side of triple cooked chips on the side and it was delicious. For a steak restaurant I of course had high expectations and it didn’t disappoint; my steak was cooked perfectly (I like mine rare) and the chips were crispy and delicious. From the set menu, my partner chose the pork belly with crispy crackling, roast apple, chard and oregano which also looked amazing.
Finally we ordered the chocolate fondant, blood orange with ice cream for dessert which we shared and it was incredible; I love a chocolate fondant, it’s definitely up there with one of my favourite puddings but I think I would’ve struggled to eat a whole portion on my own! We were also given two little chocolate shortbread pieces, on a plate that read happy anniversary which was a really nice extra touch by the restaurant staff.
Paternoster Chop House – 4/5
I really loved it, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was great. I did think the prices were a little on the expensive side but I’m excited to shout ‘I’ve been there!’ at the tv when I’m next watching First Dates.
Food – 4/5
Service – 5/5
Decor / Ambience – 4/5
The total cost for two people was £97.31 including service.
Have you visited Paternoster Chop House before? Feeling Inspired? Check out my London Restaurant Hit List!
Paternoster Chop House
1 Warwick Court
Paternoster Sq.
London
EC4M 7DX
