The Ox steak restaurant, Bristol

As far as hiding your light under a bushel goes, The Ox takes some beating in the self-effacement stakes. Lurking beneath a Wetherspoons in Bristol's historically grand Corn St, with only a nameless brass plate above the door, you descend spiralling marble steps to enter a kind of subterranean gloom which makes decent photographs impossible and has you reaching for the rather lovely word crepuscular.

It's an elegant space, with tiled floors and dark wood under a gently vaulted ceiling. The menu leans heavily toward the carnivorous, even the bits other steak restaurants leave unserved. The example menu online has me hankering after deep-fried pig's head, but tonight this is not available; pigs' ears and bone marrow are tempting substitutions and I plump firmly for the latter. It arrives- three half-bones' worth- with the savouriness of Parmesan, the sweetness of roasted onions and a doorstep of toast and is a glutton's delight. It's a shame some find their squeamishness is an obstacle: this is a much-overlooked dish and its unparalleled depth of flavour deserves to be on the menu of any steak house worth its salt. 

A chargrilled leek has been stuffed with diced mushrooms, walnuts and blue cheese, with a poached hen's egg on the side.  It's not much of a looker, this, but it certainly delivers on the taste front, the mixed vegetables and nuts being shot through with the aniseed hit of tarragon.

The steak- a 300g ribeye (£27) -is cooked beautifully, as you'd hope here. Seasoned well and expertly seared and crusted on the outside, perfectly tender and blushing on the inside. Praise be to St Josper, the textures of meat and fat are superbly balanced and a quality piece of beef has been accorded the respect it deserves. The chips are the by-now-standard triple cooked variety and are similarly very good indeed: they tend toward the stubby but are that spot-on mix of crunchy and fluffy which has you dipping them in a faultlessly velvety béarnaise  and thanking whatever stars shine down for the simple things in life. The feeling intensified with every sip of Wild Beer's Wildebeest, though its 11%ABV may have been a contributory factor. 

It's always a pleasure to eat simple food done exceedingly well. The same attention to detail that led to a pre-arrival phone call to ask whether we needed a high chair, is also obvious in the final dishes. It obviously isn't cheap- that ribeye alone exceeds Hawksmoor prices, though the chips and a choice of sauces are included in the price- but it is excellent. 

And ultimately, that's what you take away from a meal. 

No, The Ox doesn't wilt in embarrassment at being mentioned in such exalted company. And if you're adding The Ox to your 'to visit' list, this might be the clincher: from 5-7pm their early bird special will see a chargrilled 6oz rump steak, fries and béarnaise or peppercorn sauce on your table for £12.50. And yes, that includes a glass of house wine. That's staggering value for food of this quality: that alone makes it essential.

The Ox
The Basement
43 Corn St
Bristol
BS1 1HT