Shiri Kraus and Amir Batito will open The Black Cow at The Stage, a Middle Eastern steak house located in the reimagined development of the 1570s Shakespearean Curtain Playhouse Theatre on Shoreditch’s Curtain Road.
The restaurant will serve The Black Cow’s trademark dry-aged steaks and US style dishes with a Middle Eastern twist. It will serve a menu of small plates that will include ‘Breaking Bread’ – homemade cornbread with lamb butter; lamb merguez corn dog, labneh and sweet harissa; and corn, ras el hanout, salted crumble and feta.
Taking centre stage will be steaks, with diners able to choose from cuts including picanha, T bone and onglet, and which will be cooked on the Josper grill and served table side with flaming herbs.
“My passion is steak and sourcing the best beef the UK has to offer,” says Batito.
“We work with the finest British produce, and The Black Cow at the Stage takes it up a notch with our own dry ageing – it’s all in the theatre, from watching the steaks be carved, cooked and then served and I’m excited to bring that to life”.
Dessert options will include spiced quince, almond crumble, and orange blossom ice cream; and gorgonzola cheesecake, fig coulis and seeded cracker.
A bar will serve The Black Cow’s signature cocktails, including the Ottoman Martini made with vodka, kahlua, Turkish coffee, cardamom and cream; and Kashish with bourbon, spiced orange and bitters. Wines will be sourced from lesser known producers in the Old World, with a particular focus on unique, quirky and family owned producers.
The restaurant will be split into three dining areas – The Performance courtyard, The Gallery, and The Backstage, which also takes form as a private dining room. Upon entering, guests will be greeted with cuts of steak dry ageing in open glass fridges along the right side of the restaurant.
Its interiors are influenced by Broadway and Middle Eastern theatre, with a black and emerald colour palette and terracotta floors. The Performance Courtyard is inspired by open theatre and will feature a number of olive trees.
Above in The Gallery, guests will have a view of the restaurant’s open fire kitchen, while The Backstage room will be decorated with vintage signage and trinkets including scales, cleavers and props.
“Things that are tongue in cheek always bring me joy, you can see that across our menu with the play on the American steakhouse with Middle Eastern influences,” says Kraus.
“This opening is something that fits so well into that concept, we love that this site is steeped in history having been one of Shakespeare’s theatres, and we’re excited to bring that out in the restaurant”.
The Black Cow at The Stage will open this winter.
