http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor <b>The Hawksmoor</b><br />London, 157 Commercial Street, E1 6BJ, United Kingdom en http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/trustedplaces.comaPlacePic['name']}.140.jpg http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1k6af7
Review by chrisp

Rating: 5.00
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It ought to be a cause of national shame that despite having some of the best small producers and fishing grounds in the world, British and Irish produce is generally ignored by our own restaurants and supermarkets. The finest fresh lobster and langoustine from the south coast, Welsh lamb and Scottish pedigree cattle are sold abroad, earning French and Spanish chefs the reputation for gastronomic excellence off the back of our own home-grown talent. Thankfully in recent years there has been a bit of a fightback, as interest in locally-sourced ingredients has increased and more restaurants and supermarkets (especially Waitrose, who deserve a special mention for their 'Local foods' section) are confident enough in their customers to market British food properly. But we are nowhere near equilibrium, and I still find it shocking that some uniformly beet-red slabs of 2nd-grade beef flown halfway across the world are regarded as the best you can eat in London.

So like a guardian angel sent from heaven to fight for British food on earth (or at least in our nation's capital) comes Hawskmoor on Commercial Road. All their meat is from a company called Ginger Pig, who regular Borough-market goers will recognise from their stall there. The menu is smallish - just a few different cuts of beef, a lamb and pork cut or two, and a scattering of sides. And it's not cheap either, my 600g sirloin coming in at a whopping £26.50. But if there's one thing that's self-evident as you cut through the charred crispy flesh into the rich, moist pink inside, is that it's worth every penny. There is simply nowhere else in the capital - nowhere in Europe I would hazard a guess - that has steaks of such stunning high quality, cooked perfectly. They are huge things too, thick with ribbons of fat that provide flavour and texture, almost a meal in themselves, but you'd be foolish not to try some of Hawskmoor's excellent side dishes, such as the rich garlicky spinach and the creamiest baked sweet potato you will ever have. Unfortunately this lunchtime the chips weren't up to the usual high standard - they tasted a bit dry - but this is not the norm based on numerous previous visits. Also the service can be hit and miss - one time we waited a whole hour before the food started to arrive, which was blamed on the macaroni cheese taking too long to make. Why they didn't have "up to an hour waiting time" stamped next to this item in the menu wasn't clear.

As if Hawksmoor wasn't happy enough with serving superb steaks, they also have a fantastic bar with a list of heritage cocktails that you will find nowhere else. My "Daiquiri No.2" was apparently one of Ernest Hemingway's favourites, although to be fair I've heard this about most cocktails. Boasting that your particular drink was favoured by Cuba's most famous alcoholic is a bit like saying you are attractive enough to sleep with Russell Brand. He wasn't that fussy, believe me.

I am told that even the non-meaty items on the menu such as the scallops and swordfish are worth having, so clearly there is talent in the kitchen beyond timing a 2-inch thick rib-eye to medium-rare. But it is the steaks that keep people coming back here. Knowledgeably sourced, perfectly cooked and honestly presented, there is no doubt that Hawksmoor serves the best steaks this side of the Atlantic.]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:54:07 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1k6af71798473179 chrisp 51.521071284143 -0.075738257105659 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1y2208
Review by Browners

Rating: 5.00
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Message to all men out there....

If you've never heard of S & B day on March 14 th... then I suggest you type it into google right away!

Hawkmoor seemed to the perfect choice for such an occasion. Renowned for producing the best steaks in London, we were very excited about the trip.

It seems a rather unassuming location, however, once inside the masters in the kitchen certainly know how to cook a bloody good steak! All the meat comes from the Ginger Pig 'Observer Food Monthly Producer of the Year, and is lovingly reared in North Yorkshire'.

Before you sit down to tuck into a mighty piece of beef, be sure to have one their fabulous cocktails at the bar. (In my attempts to impress Cowie with my boozy knowledge I was stiched up by the barman who made me the stongest Cuban concoction you can possibly imagine)

Read below to see what Hawksmoor has to offer...

"Dictionary thick steaks from 28 day hung Longhorn cattle, pork chops from big happy Tamworths, racks of lamb from a flock of Swaledales grazed on heather moorland, all simply cooked on a real charcoal grill."

"For our cocktail list we've scoured our library of long out of print cocktail books. We've resurrected some great long lost classics and have added some of our own, invented by our award-winning bartenders. All are made with the finest ingredients available (and a lot of love)."

Our starter arrived along with someone else's as well which we tried to send back but they were having none of it insisting that we should have it anyway because no-one else was going to eat it! I'm not the kind of man to look a gift scallop in the shell...

Our steaks were tender, juicy, charred, rare as hell and perfectly seasoned. The fat had that brilliant, slightly crisp feel to it that gives me the shivers! This couldn't be London in 2007 without having triple cooked chips in a miniature aluminium bucket! That said they were delicious, especially when supercharged with the thickest bernaise sauce I have ever eaten. It's the kind of thing that would give Oli a reason to die on the spot!

It would be rude of me not to comment on the foot perfect service. The staff were charming and couldn't have made us feel more welcome; some of the best around.

It is quite a trek, especially if you live south of the river... but its worth the trip.]]> Wed, 06 Jun 2007 20:33:16 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1y2208718257823 Browners 51.521071284143 -0.075738257105659 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1x6267
Review by aimeealewis

Rating: 4.00
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When I was trying to find the Hawksmoor I walked straight past it. It's exterior is very ugly but when you get inside the restaurant is much nicer. Understated and relaxed with a small menu this is the perfect place to come if you really love your steak. The steaks are huge, tender and full of flavour. The vegetables come seperately. I took my boyfriend for his birthday and I think it is definately a masculine restaurant. Staff were friendly and helpful and the chocolate mousse is dreamy. It is expensive but worth it for a special occassion. The resturant was pretty empty at 8 but really filled up quickly.]]> Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:28:16 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1x62671736120777 aimeealewis 51.521071284143 -0.075738257105659 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1o5168
Review by jo104

Rating: 3.00
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This restaurant is for meat lovers, their meat comes from the Ginger Pig and is all organic, free range.

I was invited by clients for lunch and my advice to other city slickers is that this is only a place to dine at if you have a spare few hours.

The restaurant has quite a cold sparse feel to it & most of the tables seem to be 2 seaters. There were 5 of us and they seated us right next to the door in a draft even though the restaurant was quite empty.

Their wines start at £18 which I deem rather pricey, but as I was asked to select any wine I chose an Argentinian Malbec at an extravagent £32. When we asked for the waitresses opinion she told us she didn't fancy wine & it was clear she did not know how to pour wine.

Now onto the meaty bit of the review (excuse the pun) The steaks are huge I ordered the rib eye which is served at either 400g or 600g bearing in mind an averages ladies steak is 200g its a lot of meat. Sides are ordered separately, their speciality being a triple fried chip which equals lots of calories!! My hunk of meat was brought to the table luke warm which was annoying. When I complained the chef told her he leaves the steak on the plate to rest, if the plates were pre-warmed it may have been a different story. To have my steak slapped back on the grill would have meant it would be overcooked.

We did order dessert but after about 45min of waiting we decided to get the bill and leave, and it was at that time they decided our desserts were ready.

The meat was delicious & tender but I will not bother visiting this restaurant again. It was also a very costly meal out. I did see they had a nice cocktail lounge area.

www.thehawksmoor.co.uk]]> Thu, 15 Mar 2007 14:04:18 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1o5168392455901 jo104 51.521071284143 -0.075738257105659 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1851x8
Review by mundek

Rating: 4.00
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I recently visited the Hawksmoor for a meal after a few recommendations from acquaintances. This place is on the fringe of the City and is a New York style bar and grill. We had some cocktails to start and my Jerry Thomas's Mint Julep was delicious, and very alcoholic, which is always a bonus. They have a very comprehensive cocktail menu at Hawksmoor and they all seemed very appealing. On to the food, The Hawksmoor is NY style steakhouse and that's obviously what they focus on but they do have pork chops, fish and chicken on the menu too, so probably not such a good place if you are vegetarian (I don't recall seeing a veggie option on the menu). The mains don't come with any side dishes, so you have to order those separately. I ordered the bone-in sirloin and my companion had the pork chop. They are into organic, boutique meat here and it really shows, my sirloin was perfectly cooked medium rare and tender and succulent, it had some gristle though which is more a fault of the cut than the restaurant I suppose. My companions pork chop was delicious too. The triple cooked chips that I had heard so much about were quite disappointing though - not bad chips, but not as amazing as I'd be led to expect. The baked sweet potato was delicious though, very smoky and garlicy, as was the salad. Dessert was a bit subpar too, the pastry on the Tarte Tatin we shared tasted undercooked. The bill came to around £120 for two (mains, shared dessert and drinks), so not exactly a cheap place to eat but well worth it if you can afford it.]]> Thu, 22 Feb 2007 10:48:25 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22980/the-hawksmoor/1851x82113107772 mundek 51.521071284143 -0.075738257105659