Middle Eastern-inspired steakhouse The Black Cow has transferred to new premises on the site of a Shakespearean-era playhouse in Shoreditch, after four years at Hawley Wharf in Camden.
The Stage development makes a suitable venue for a restaurant that aims to present its dishes in a theatrical manner, with dry-ageing steaks displayed in wardrobe-sized glass-fronted fridges. There are three dining areas: The Performance courtyard, The Backstage, which doubles up as a private dining room, and The Gallery, where guests have views of the main stage – The Black Cow’s open-fire kitchen, fitted with spotlights so diners can watch the theatrics of the Josper grill.
Founders Shiri Kraus and Amir Batito have worked at Palomar, the Barbary and the Jerusalem-based Machneyuda group, and they also run Epicurus in Camden, a Middle Eastern take on the American diner. The Black Cow of the name is Black Angus beef, although the founders also see themselves in it: “We feel like black sheep in the Middle Eastern culinary scene. On one hand we bring a high-end fine-dining experience, but on the other, you’re more than welcome to enjoy dining at The Black Cow in flip-flops.”
The Stage is a new 37-storey mixed-use development on the site of the The Curtain Playhouse, which opened in 1577 and was occupied by Shakespeare’s company 20 years later. The site was excavated in the early stages of the development by a team from the Museum of London Archaeology, with a new Museum of Shakespeare scheduled to open on-site soon.