Hawksmoor has been selling itself on the quality of the meat it serves, so what could we do but give it a go?
On arrival Hawksmoor we noted that it was quite large with tables packed very tightly, which worried us slightly. Despite the restaurant being empty they chose to put us at a table right next to a bunch of loud, abusive and generally obnoxious wankers engaged in a minor punch up at the bar. We asked to move tables, and this was achieved with no murmur from the staff, who generally seemed helpful and generally happy.
We didn’t need to study the menu for long as we had pre-booked a Chateaubriand for the two of us to share, so all we needed were starters. Whilst waiting for food we tried a couple of cocktails from their 1920s-inspired cocktail list. Daniel had a Ramos gin fizz, which was quite lovely, and I had a daiquiri no. 2 which was so good I immediately ordered another one on finishing it.
The starters came quickly and we were hilariously pleased with them. Daniel’s potted beef was truly delicious, rich and fatty, nicely salted and bursting with flavoursome goodness. Now my Tamworth ribs were truly the best ribs I had ever had. There were only two of them, and they were not very long, but they had all the meat going from the rib to the fat under the skin; they were as wide as they were long. Their flavour was incredible, meaty, tender, fatty and truly marvelous; this was a great starter and left me feeling surprisingly full.
With the incredible success of the starters behind us were were keen to try the quality of the beef. When our rare, thick, juicy slices of Chateaubriand were served the drool flowed copiously. The meat was tender, wonderfully flavoursome and cooked to complete perfection. Easily the second best steak I’d had (after Pedro’s in Tolosa). This was food worth going out for.
We ordered triple-cooked chips as side dishes, which were generally good, but perhaps not up to the stellar standard of the meat. Personally I think they’d do better with some nice frites. They also provided a range of sauces in miniature containers. I couldn’t be arsed with any of these, the meat was good enough unsullied by sauce, but Daniel says they were excellent.
The wine list was, alas, hugely expensive and largely crap, next time I go I’ll have a cocktail and a pint of their excellent Brew Dog beer. If you want a bottle of red wine go for Ridge Lytton Springs, a snip at a mere sixty quid. The restaurant also was a tad on the loud side, at the end of the week when we went they had a few large parties in which were catered for in the main room and this tended to increase the volume.
The whole experience was generally great, although not cheap. But what can you expect when you are after London’s best steak, amazing ribs and great cocktails in the middle of The City? We shall undoubtedly be returning and hopefully dragging some friends with us; they will not regret it.
Contact details are on their website.
