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Please note, Little Pitt is now closed. Time Out London Food & Drink Editors, March 2017.
Think back to Pitt Cue’s first tiny restaurant on Newburgh Street and you’ll probably remember the queue of unassailable diners patiently waiting for their meaty fix. But back in January, the flagship spot closed and a bigger, flashier, Pitt Cue opened in the City, minus the pulled pork (much to the chagrin of its first fans). Then, in August, the original BBQ crew took the original Soho site back over – and Little Pitt was born.
Here, they go back to their roots: serving bourbon, beer and damn delicious meat. There’s a changing selection of interesting cuts that on our visit included a tender lamb rump, cured jowl, bavette steak and smoked beef neck. The pulled pork is back on the menu, but instead of the steaming stack they used to serve, it now comes in roll form, which feels a shame given the pulled pork bun’s current pubby ubiquity. But the meat is still mouth-wateringly tender and juicy, paired with perfectly salted pickles and slaw.
The sides are as strong as ever: the decadently buttery bone marrow mash almost had me licking the bowl clean, and the BBQ beans and green chilli slaw were tip-top.
Everything feels reassuringly familiar – it’s as small as ever, the downstairs tables are still extremely cosy and the staff ever-friendly. But, crucially, there was no queue. We walked in at 7pm on a Thursday and were seated immediately.
Maybe the masses aren’t yet wise to Little Pitt, or perhaps we’ve just reached our pulled pork peak. Either way, despite the food, drinks and service remaining great, it feels slightly less exciting without the buzzy, borderline-masochistic waits of old. But don’t let that put you off: this may be one of the only non-reservation restaurants in Soho you can actually get a table in, so make the most of that while you can.