APLO

The Hawksmoor

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EXPERT REVIEWS

The Guardian - It's luscious and just one of many thrills in an extraordinarily assured opening. It is pure Art Deco, from the beautiful leaded windows to the polished wood veneer and the banquettes. Poirot would be happy here. Then there is the floor. There is no more parquet to be had in Britain. It's all in Hawksmoor Air Street. Polished service, properly cooked meat and dizzying desserts. The new Hawksmoor doesn't miss a beat. read more

The Standard - The mahogany-filled minimal glow, reflected by bevelled glass and caught occasionally by emerald green leather, could do little more to encourage filmic fantasies of Capone et al conducting tête-à-têtes in one of their many corners. Hawksmoor means business, and that business is steak. The meat comes courtesy of The Ginger Pig, the much lauded and certainly very busy butchers, before it enters the hands of Hawksmoor’s god-given grilling skills. The climax is more than dramatic: the steak is divine. read more

The Independent - Everything about Hawksmoor has been beautifully done. Even the entrance is exciting – a nightclub-style doorway tucked down a cobbled alley, in what was once the notorious slum area of Seven Dials. A dramatic staircase leads down into a dark bar, as louche as a Prohibition-era speakeasy, with a cocktail menu to match. The vast dining room is similarly atmospheric. Too many new restaurants look like architectural models. This converted brewery has already acquired the patina of use, with pleasure encoded in its brick walls and reclaimed fittings. read more

The Infatuation - Hawksmoor is one of the best places to get a steak in London - all the meat’s sourced from the UK, and each steak is cooked to perfection. The Seven Dials location, in particular, is a huge basement room filled with the sounds of people eating red meat and having a good time. Besides beef, Hawksmoor does very good seafood and their cocktails are excellent too. If you don’t fancy splurging on an expensive steak dinner, the bar at this location is an excellent place to hang out and to get a very nice drink along with either the burger or french dip sandwich. Either would be reason enough on its own to visit. read more

TimeOut - The Grand Daddy of upmarket steakhouses, Hawksmoor’s original Spitalfields branch stands gloriously unravaged by the passing of time. Set on industrial-chic Commercial Street, the look inside is masculine without throwing its weight around with a handsome exposed brick backed bar that makes you want to order one thousand martinis. The service matches that price-point: the waiter was an absolute pro. Fix that fillet, and Hawksmoor might become one of those national treasures that just get better year-on-year. read more