The story
Smokestak on Sclater Street is a London barbecue joint that takes its cue from the traditions of American low-and-slow cooking. The kitchen's focus is on non-primal cuts of meat, gently rendered over indirect heat until tender and unctuous. Vegetables are coal-roasted or lightly charred for added flavour and texture. This commitment to quality and value earned Smokestak a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2026.
The style here is slow-smoked barbecue, not grilling. Meats are cooked for hours in the smoker, with only a final finish over direct heat. The team draws on a history where tougher, more affordable cuts were transformed into something special through patience and wood smoke. This is the art of barbecue as discovered by communities who had to make the most of non-prime cuts, breaking down collagens through long, gentle cooking. The result is a menu built around beef brisket, pulled pork, charred pork belly, and a 30-day dry-aged beef rib.
Start with pigtails in soy molasses or wood-roasted bone marrow with sourdough. The pastrami, pickles, mustard and dill is a classic. For mains, the beef brisket with mustard barbecue is a standout, as is the native breed pulled pork. The coal-roasted aubergine with red miso and feta offers a strong vegetarian option. Sides like skin-on chips with aioli and pickled red cabbage slaw complete the meal. Don't miss the sticky toffee pudding with milk ice cream.
Smokestak offers counter dining, outdoor seating, and a lively, unpretentious atmosphere. It's a place for sharing: feasting menus for groups of eight or more are served family style, with vegetarian options available. The drink list includes a frozen margarita, a smoked plum negroni, and local beers. A discretionary £1 donation to the Xenia foundation is added to each bill, matched internally by the restaurant.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
good quality, good value cooking
Established in 2016 and found with some difficulty (signage is minimal) on a backstreet off Brick Lane, Smokestak is a project from chef David Carter, co-founder with Chris Leach of nearby Manteca. Its specialist subject is barbecue, as signposted by the monster smoker in the open kitchen, by the blackened walls, and by the weathered wooden furniture that almost looks like it’s had a few hours over the coals. It’s very cool, and not very comfortable. The signature pre-order brisket comes whole for the table (£175 at the time of writing), served in thick slices on a tin plate, or coiled inside a glossy bun with pickled red chillies – a reminder of the concept’s street-food origins. Hours of slow-cooking also work their magic on native-breed pork, pulled with green slaw in a bun. Two sharing menus cover all the classics. There are meat-free options too, such as watermelon salad with feta, cucumber and mint or coal-roasted aubergine with red miso and cashews, but you would hardly describe Smokestak as a place of pilgrimage for vegetarians. To drink, there's plenty of good stuff, including rum punch, blackcurrant Negronis, a few beers and a couple of dozen European wines of a natural bent.
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