Food lovers, brace yourselves – nestled in the heart of Beckenham High Street is a gem of a steak house serving hulking great steaks, fat juicy burgers and a good selection of fish and veggie dishes

The Resident:

‘We opened in April 2012, and I’m really pleased with how it’s doing,’ says owner Reis Remzi. ‘Steak houses are coming back into fashion which is great for us.’

Reis – whose dad owns the Miso Noodle bar in Beckenham – has got reason to be especially proud of the quality of meals Branded are producing, as his meat, which comes from Scotland, is provided by the Queen’s butcher.

The unit used to be occupied by Gourmet Burger Kitchen, but Branded has nicely transformed it into something sleeker and altogether more grown-up. With soft lighting, dark leather seating and modern decor – not forgetting the cow print lampshades – it’s easy to see why the restaurant is so popular.

You’ll need a big appetite if you’re going to truly appreciate everything that the menu has to offer. Rock shrimp tempura, diver scallops, or beetroot and goats cheese salad are just some of the creative starters on offer. Next up is the star of the show – main courses of beautifully seared steaks, aged for 28 days and served on hefty wooden platters, including T Bones and Chateaubriand, and delicious burgers boasting their secret-recipe Branded sauce – plus the biggest onion rings you’ll ever set eyes on. And if you’ve got any room left (which is unlikely), chocolate fondant and white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake are just desperate to be tried.

So what really sets Branded apart? The food is every bit as good, the wine list is extensive and the ambience is just the right side of cool. Perhaps it’s the warm welcome you’ll receive from the staff, the fact that the restaurant is heaving with children for the Sunday roast, and the prices are fair. But most of all it’s that this top-quality independent is bringing central London standards to Beckenham.

51 High Street, Beckenham BR3 1AW; 020 8658 5757; brandedsteaks.co.uk