The Bountiful Cow celebrates 20 years as Holborn’s first female-led steakhouse and pub

Independent female-led steakhouse and pub The Bountiful Cow, located in Holborn, is marking its 20^th anniversary this summer with a special menu and a look back at two decades of serving steak to locals and regulars. Since opening its doors in 2005 at 51 Eagle Street, the establishment has built a reputation for quality cuts of beef and a community-focused approach. 

The Bountiful Cow is owned and run by Cveta Dukovska, a self-taught chef originally from the Balkans. Dukovska came to London with no English and learned her trade in the kitchens of traditional restaurants such as Gigi’s in Dean Street and Wolf’s Steakhouse in Knightsbridge. She was invited to relaunch the pub by Roxy Beaujolais, a well-known publican and advocate for independent establishments, and together, they aimed to create a proper steakhouse in a proper pub, run entirely by women in an industry that, back then, rarely made space for them.

Beef for the menu is sourced from Irish and Scottish farms, with all cuts matured for at least 28 days. The team works closely with Smithfield Market butchers, selecting ribeye, sirloin, T-bone and others for depth of flavour, all of which are then cooked to order on the grill. The menu also features house-made sauces including béarnaise, peppercorn and chimichurri, alongside hand-cut chips. In addition to steak, The Bountiful Cow offers burgers made in-house from the same beef, with the Bounty Burger described as “double the size you’d find in a typical pub”. Bar snacks such as croquettes, steak bites and halloumi fries are also prepared on site. The 20^th birthday event brings in three special additions: The Flashback Burger (a chuck steak burger with pancetta and garlic mayo), The Legacy Flight (a steak sandwich with ribeye and chimichurri) and The Bountiful Beast (a surf-and-turf sandwich combining sirloin steak and garlic butter prawns).

The pub retains a traditional feel, with booth seating, vintage film posters and a regular local clientele. Reflecting on the their ethos, Dukovska and Beaujolais say they have aimed to sustain The Bountiful Cow’s independence, quality and hospitality, keeping it “proudly independent, fiercely community-driven and focused on doing what it’s always done best: high-quality steak, house-made everything and proper pub hospitality. No gimmicks. No reinvention. Just a neighbourhood favourite – and one of London’s best-kept steak secrets.”

Food Desk

To book a table at The Bountiful Cow, 51 Eagle Street, London WC1R 4AP, call 020 7404 0200 or visit the restaurant’s website here.