A Basque grill in London, built on sourcing and fire

In Farringdon, Ibai has become one of the most distinctive grill-led restaurants in London, not because it tries to reinvent Basque tradition, but because it takes it seriously and applies it with judgement. Founded by Nemanja Borjanović and William Sheard together with Head Chef Richard Foster, Ibai does not lean on noise or novelty. Its confidence comes from structure: what is sourced, how it is aged, how it is cooked and how it is served.

What defines the experience is that the work begins before the kitchen. Ibai is built around a sourcing mindset associated with Txuleta, where decisions about cattle, maturity and ageing are treated as part of the restaurant’s identity rather than an operational detail. That approach sets the tone for everything that follows. Guests are not simply ordering a steak. They are eating the outcome of choices made well in advance, then brought to the grill with restraint.

At the centre of the menu is Galician Blond beef from mature dairy cows, valued for depth of flavour and structure rather than softness alone. The beef is mainly dry aged, then cooked over open fire on a multi-tier charcoal grill, allowing different cuts to sit at different heights and intensities of heat. That design matters because it supports a Basque style of cooking that is not about aggressive charring, but about control, timing and clarity. When Ibai is at its best, the beef tastes direct and defined, with fire as an expression of flavour rather than an overlay.

Yet Ibai is not a one-note restaurant. Beyond the beef, the menu carries a broader rhythm, with dishes that speak to Basque instincts while fitting naturally into London. This is where Richard Foster’s hand shows most clearly: the ability to keep plates clean and purposeful, without decoration for its own sake. The range helps the restaurant feel complete and keeps the experience from becoming a single focus repeated. It also signals confidence. Ibai does not depend on one headline cut to carry the room.

The setting reinforces the same idea. In a converted warehouse space, the design balances industrial character with warmth. The open kitchen keeps the work visible, not as theatre, but as transparency. Service follows the same direction: calm, informed and properly paced, with enough detail to guide the guest without turning dinner into a lecture. It is a style of hospitality that suits the restaurant’s underlying discipline.

Wine is treated with the same seriousness. Rather than presenting a list as an accessory, Ibai uses it to support the grill-led menu and the weight of the food. The selection draws strongly from Spain, without becoming narrow, and the best pairings are those that respect fire and beef without trying to compete with them. It is another sign of coherence: the glass is not separated from the plate, but considered as part of the same experience.

Ibai’s position in the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants reflects that clarity. Rather than resting on early recognition, the restaurant continues to develop year after year, sharpening its identity in a city that is rarely forgiving to restaurants that lose focus. Just as importantly, Ibai has also made a broader statement about standards. It became the first restaurant in the United Kingdom to receive The Beef Advocate Certificate, a recognition that reflects a commitment to verified sourcing, transparency and a serious approach to beef beyond the dining room.

Ultimately, Ibai’s strength lies in how consistently it joins the pieces together: sourcing, ageing, fire, service and wine, all aligned behind the same intention. It is not a restaurant built around hype. It is a restaurant built around decisions and it becomes more convincing because of that.