MKFM Review: Middletons Steakhouse and Grill

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 12:36

Following the release of its new menu, Maggie from MKFM was invited to Middletons Steakhouse and Grill in Midsummer Boulevard, Central Milton Keynes, and here is her full review…

On Saturday, July 13, my friend and I visited Middletons Steakhouse and Grill, eager to try a few new things on the menu. I have always been a fan of Middletons, so my expectations were already high.

We arrived at 8pm, welcomed by Sebastian, the Deputy General Manager of the restaurant. He welcomed us with a lovely smile and was so welcoming, a great start to the evening already. The atmosphere was radiant and cosy, with a subtle touch of class. The music was perfect. Not too loud to drown out conversations, but enough to notice a banger was playing.

Being a popular restaurant, the table booked for us had just paid and were on their way out. In these circumstances, some restaurants would have you wait, but Sebastian explained the situation and swiftly directed us to the bar, with instant service from the bartender, who also had a welcoming presence to him. We ordered our drinks, content with waiting a while, but a few sips in and Sebastian returned, informing us the table was ready.

We were seated in a booth, and although we were in a pretty busy restaurant, with how the seats were arranged, there was still a sense of privacy. As we had already ordered our drinks, our server, Alex came, with amazing energy, to take our starters.

I ordered the ‘Crispy squid nests’, a new item on the starter’s menu, and was not disappointed. The squid arrived coated with what I would describe as breadcrumbs, or batter, but it was not drowned in it. It was exactly what it said, crispy, in the best possible way. It was seasoned perfectly; I did not feel the urge to add a little salt or pepper. Accompanying the squid was siracha mayonnaise with a side of kimchi sprinkled with chilli flakes. The presentation was stunning; it made me want to just look at it a while longer before digging in.

My friend ordered the ‘Chicken wings’ with buffalo sauce on the side. Please note, the original dish comes with the chicken wings in buffalo sauce. He isn’t a fan of food covered in sauce, but when the starter arrived and he tried it together, he could understand why they combined the two. He first tried the wings on its own, and eager to know what it was like I asked after his first bite! He said it was cooked perfectly, not overdone or under, and fell off the bones. I believe “tender” was his exact word. He then combined the sauce and mentioned that it was the exact kick needed. He explained the buffalo sauce has a sweetness to it in addition to a slight kick, but did not overpower the wings. The addition of blue cheese dressing and crispy onions brought the whole dish together.

To say the least, the starters set the tone for the rest of the food to come.

Before diving into the main’s review, I wanted to add that something both my friend and I appreciated was the time Sebastian and Alex took with us. You could tell a sense of care was put into curating the new menu due to how in depth they spoke regarding each dish we tried. They broke down the flavours and how dishes were cooked, almost giving us a better understanding of what were tasting when we took each bite.

For the main, I ordered the 8oz beef wellington. Confession, the beef wellington is usually my go to when I go to Middletons, however, this time I could taste the difference. The flavours of the fillet of steak wrapped in the mushroom duxelles, in addition to the ham and then pastry was outstanding. It was seasoned to perfection. I requested for my steak to be cooked pink, and it was exactly that. Juicy in the best possible way and worked so well with the peppercorn sauce. Once again, I did not feel the need to season with salt or pepper, it was great just the way it was brought. I had a side of ‘Skin of Fries’, crisp to perfection. The presentation was amazing, neat and welcoming, and the portion was more than satisfying.

My friend ordered the 8oz rib-eye, and upgraded to the surf and turf, adding two oven roasted garlic prawns. In all honesty, when I saw his dish, I wanted it in addition to mine. It was a classic surf and turf with rather large prawns, and a generous side of garlic butter. He ordered the crushed new potatoes as his side. When my he originally ordered the new potatoes, I remember giving him a side-eye, because how could he not order fries!? But when it arrived, and I tried some, I was most definitely humbled to say the least. Even something as simple as a side was seasoned and mixed amazingly, coated with butter, bringing everything together. Just like my wellington, my friend mentioned the steak was seasoned perfectly. I had a little bite and couldn’t agree more, nothing needed to be added or taken away. The steak was tender and adding the garlic butter took it to a new level. The garlic prawn was a subtle, but necessary addition.

We also ordered the sea bass dish to share, as it was new on the menu so we were eager to try. Now, I enjoy seafood, but when I go to a steakhouse, it is not my first choice for obvious reasons. With that being said, this dish has made me a little more open to ordering seafood. Sebastian explained that the sea bass was cooked in a bag with fennel, splash of white wine, some seasoning, and then baked in the oven. My friend and I halved the dish and enjoyed every bite. It was cooked beautifully, with a hint of seasoning, which our palates took to perfectly. The dish also came with a side of the crushed new potatoes.

For drinks, Sebastian suggested the ‘Salted Caramel Mudslide’. It contains Baileys, Tia Maria, vodka, salted caramel syrup, topped with toffee popcorn. If that the description alone doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will. It was creamy, sweet, but not overbearing, and tasted like the best iced coffee ever made. Not to mention the popcorn! It sat beautifully on the top, with no sogginess despite being in a drink! I would think the ice played a hand in that. By far one of the best drinks I have tried.

We had to finish things off strong with dessert. I don’t know how, but we made space for it! I ordered the sticky toffee pudding, which was served with a scoop of soft and sweet vanilla ice cream, and a serving of marinated dates. The pudding was served at the perfect temperature, drenched in the sticky toffee sauce. Everything on the dish complimented each other perfectly. The pudding was soft and fresh, and a generous serving. The only note I would add is the ice cream serving could’ve been a little more, as I found myself without it about halfway through the pudding. Other than that, it was the perfect end to an amazing night of dishes.

My friend ordered the chocolate fondant, and if you are a chocolate lover, this is the dessert for you! You might be sensing a slight pattern here, but of course, I tried some of that too! It was rich and warm, not too sweet, and to top things off, had chocolate oozing out of the centre. It was also served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and kirsch cherries. My friend enjoyed every bite of it. He mentioned it light and sweet, exactly what was needed after a full meal.

Our overall experience was 10/10 from beginning till end. The service was outstanding, Alex was so attentive and welcoming. He gave us recommendations and talked us through things when asked, not to mention a great conversationalist in general. You could tell Sebastian really put a lot of personal effort into the curation of the meals, presentation, and flavours, which showed in each dish. The attention to detail from the atmosphere to the drinks, to the dishes was impeccable, as well as the service.

Middletons Steakhouse and Grill has always been a great place to eat, but with the new items on the menu and an upgrade in the standards of flavours in original dishes, I would say it has definitely improved in all aspects. I would recommend Middletons to anyone.

For more information about Middletons Steakhouse, or to book a table, please visit https://www.middletons-shg.co.uk/location/milton-keynes/ or call 01908 990116.