Top Blade’ is situated in the St Annes square in the spot previously held by Chopin and with Buba, House of Zen and Pizza Express all within spitting distance it’s not without competition. The décor is fantastic, a black and white check floor with muted wooden tables and chairs are complemented with soft lighting and a soft seating area directly as you walk in. It all makes for a situation that seems intimate for a date, but accessible for a larger party. As soon as we entered we were greeted warmly and seated right away, our waiter advised that the steak was best-done no more than medium or it would be tough. Sage words indeed. A full wine and drinks menu awaits, but as this was during dry January lemon Pellegrino’s where opted for instead. The menu is slightly curious because it is pretty much one thing. A £10 flat iron steak, you can order the usual sides (chips, sweet potato fries, veg etc) and sauces but lest you take the veggie option or one of the specials – a sirloin steak or a burger -then steak it was. Heading the advice of the server we both ordered our steaks medium rare (I usually go medium). My steak came and presentation was brilliant with skin on fries served in an enamel bowl and pepper sauce the same. The steak came already cut up on a slate, that made my teeth cold every time my cutlery touched it, like fingers down a blackboard. The skin on fries and pepper sauce were excellent – the fries with crunchy with golden outers and soft fluffy inners, the pepper sauce a touch spicy and earthy with a great pepper taste. The steak however I was not a fan of, the seared outer had a reasonable taste and texture but once cut and put in my mouth I found myself just endlessly chewing it, and chewing it and chewing it. I gave up half way through and just finished off my fries dipped in the pepper sauce. The bill came in at a very reasonable price of under £20 per head, however, it couldn’t make up for my disappointment in the steak.
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