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A Soho branch of the New York-style comfort food ’n’cocktails joint, the look at Dirty Bones Denman Street is a bit sexy. Dark and moody, with trendy LED signage and a seriously stocked bar, there’s more than a whiff of speakeasy about the place – which might have something to do with the fact that to get to the loos you have to push through a door disguised as a bookcase. It’s fun and vibey, if a bit contrived.
My experience is a tale of two visits. Let’s start with the good one. I ate cheesy truffle fries and an amazing build-your-own beef shortrib taco – the rib was so thick and luscious it looked like a slab of chocolate. The whole experience was so delicious that I came back a week later. This time, though, it wasn’t great. The ‘signature’ MacDaddy burger, a super-indulgent mess of dry-aged steak patty, mac ’n’ cheese and barbecue sauce, was far too dry. Worse still, the food took about 50 minutes to arrive and the staff, previously charming, were all huffy. Maybe it just wasn’t my night? Let’s hope so – Dirty Bones is well worth a punt otherwise.