Hawksmoor Spitalfields

Beautiful decor, great staff and of course, amazing steaks. we bought a huge chunk of meat to go round five of us. Felt obliged to get some chips on the side but by weight that must have been 5% of the food.

There is a blackboard on the wall which tells you exactly which steaks they have bought in that day, the staff are well versed in exactly what wine you need with your meal and someone has spent a fair bit of time and money on putting excellent decorations everywhere.

This being Shoredicth there's a whiff of pretension but that's surely the reason people come here right? Absolutely buzzing on a Saturday night which is always a pleasure.
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Hugh Bloor
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Saturday, July 23, 2011

Went last night with a number of people from work and whilst this is by no means a cheap place to eat the steak is absolutely stunning. Not sure what happened to poor Stephanie (review below) but she's either reviewing the wrong place or describing a seriously 'off night'.

I have eaten good steaks at many restaurants in London including Santa Maria del Sur and Goodmans but the chateaubriand I shared last night was the best I have ever tasted. I cannot wait to go back.

The Stonestreet Legacy which we enjoyed with the steak was also absolutely beautiful and one nicest red wines I can remember drinking.
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Wiggy - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, June 03, 2011

I live around the corner from Hawksmoor, so its my 'local'. I go almost once a month and it's the best steak in London IMO. Good starters and desserts, but the main point are the steaks (various cuts priced per 100g) and sides (creamed spinach, macaroni and cheese!! etc). I've rolled out a couple of times after eating more than I have in my life.

Its pretty relaxed, nothing pretentious, so I can use my fingers and dress down. Normally during the week there are a fair few suits, but by the weekend there's no sign of the banker folk. It's not the cheapest, but well worth it.
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Matthew
8 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Saturday, May 14, 2011

After struggling to get a reservation in the restaurant for quite some time I plumped for an early 6pm sitting to see whether The Hawksmoor is all its cracked up to be. At 5.50pm the restaurant bar was already busy and had a good mix of people both city and hoxtonites together.

The char grilled squid starter which was served with fennel and orange was both original and extremely tasty with all ingredients complimenting one another perfectly. The lobster starter served with garlic butter was also a delight in itself. For the steaks we ordered from the blackboard the 800g Bone-in Prime Rib which was cooked medium, bursting with marbled fatty goodness. Sides of triple cooked chips, creamed spinach and asparagus were the perfect accompliments. Desserts of sticky toffee pudding and a chocolate brownie with ice cream topped of a thoroughly delightful meal.

Service was excellent at all times and i felt the attention one received from all staff was of an extremely high level. Something to note is that there is a definite benefit to arriving early in that the prime cuts of meat from the blackboard (which are allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis) sell out extremely quickly. By the time we left at 8.30pm all the select sharing cuts had been sold out to a happy and fulfilled dining room.

Get there early to avoid disappointment…its a real gem is The Hawksmoor.
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Michael Griffin
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, May 13, 2011

Sorry but I have just been to the Hawksmoor and can't believe how bad the steaks are and the food overall. The Salmon starter was so thick and way too fishy and the Scallop was served with Champ. What kind of starter is that!! I am from Witney in Oxfordshire and the steaks are so much more tender and juicier. This restaurant is way too expensive for the poor quality of food. Steaks at that price should be aged at least for 21 days.

All these people giving excellent reviews of this restaurant have obviously not tasted good, quality fresh food.
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Stephanie Osborne
3 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Saturday, April 02, 2011

The food was really delicious from start to finish, but its very very expensive for what it is. Over £70 a head for 2 courses - and I agree with other reviewers that the sides of chips, creamed spinach etc are meanly portioned. We've eaten in Michelin starred places where the food and service are much finer for less than this. I would not go again as a result unless someone else was paying!
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LondonDwarf
6 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Thursday, March 31, 2011

From their first location in Spitalfields, Hawksmoor have peddled top-end steaks perfectly prepared, proving along the way that if you can do something perfectly you can charge as much as you want and people will pay. The first location’s exposed brickwork and dark wood speak to the New York approach they take with their meat, a Smith and Wollensky come Quality Meats combination - and long a winning combination for them, albeit one in a slightly cramped East End location.

The Seven Dials / Covent Garden location is new, but reminiscent of the first location, although a clear improvement upon it. Gone is the lack of space - from the start, the high-ceilinged entrance hall let’s you know that you’re in for something big. The staircase leading down into the restaurant is wide and gentle, setting your expectations for the proportions of the experience to come. The cocktail bar is a low-lit, high-stooled experience in anticipation. The cocktail list is substantial, inventive, and not as pricey as it could be. The cocktails themselves are everything they should be, entirely satisfactory, and a great match with the smells from the dining room proper and the dishes that whisk past on waiters’ trays. The dining room itself is an old brewery, and exposed red brick, with a high arched brick ceiling, supported on massive iron pillars. Whilst entirely without windows, the indirect lighting is such that you couldn’t care less. There are relatively few establishments where you don’t feel like you’re underground, or at least where you don’t care a bit about it. This is definitely one exception.

Our visit to Hawksmoor was for their highly affordable roast, but resisting ordering one of their fantastic steaks was an effort, as was resisting one of the many starters. How filling could half a dozen oysters be after all? Maybe we could share a small Chateaubriand on the side with our roast? And whilst we clearly couldn’t, and would have made very little headway against it, I do wish we’d tried anyway.

The roast itself arrived on a plate the size of a small table, with the single slice of meat itself taking up most of the plate. About as thick as a thumb, and as red as a slapped cheek, the meat was tender, juicy, and everything you’d hope from such beef experts as Hawksmoor. More impressive yet, the rest of the roast was as exceptional - the cabbage full-bodied, the Yorkshire pudding crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside. The gravy was rich, whilst the carrots and roasted onion melted in the mouth. The unexpected roasted head of garlic was beautifully delicate in flavour. The only quibble I had was with the potatoes, an unfortunate combination of too tough on the inside and not crunchy enough on the outside - but even this was barely noticeable in the context.

Hawksmoor has a fine selection of desserts, with more than a hint towards a boarding school inspiration - blancmange, ice-cream sundaes, toffee pudding, etc. Whilst the few we had were delicious, and there was a wide enough range of alternatives to appeal to most tastes, it is a rare slip of the veil of sophistication.

The service was, with a few exceptions, ideal - at once relaxed and attentive. The beers - sourced from a few select micro-breweries - were full of flavour, and more than strong enough for the ⅔ pint glasses they were served in. The wine list was predictably extensive, and not something we even scratched the surface of. The after-dinner spirits were inventive, and as far as the rums went were a revelation. Best of all, for what is otherwise a high-end restaurant, the meal was surprisingly affordable. Highly recommended.
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Will Marshall
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, February 14, 2011

Went here on a Saturday for lunch at 3.30.Firstly table was ridiculously close to our neighbours and was really shaky.Overall we thought the food was excellent well worth a trip. My only gripe was being told by one pushy waitress how I should have my steak as I'm a chef ....and there is a big difference between m/w and m/r I sent it back. Also it is quite pricey and You don't get anything included steak comes with nothing so it's £20 for just the steak we ordered prawn cocktails which were immense were given no bread....In my opinon food was sublime, think they could add a few touches for the money they charge and the some staff could drop their snootiness and listen to customers and also tables are too close together.
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Aidan Kelly
8 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Sunday, December 19, 2010

Visited Hawksmoor on Saturday to celebrate my birthday and I have to say I had the best steak EVER!

We were greeted at the door by the lovely friendly staff and shown to a corner banqette table in the very busy but relaxed restaurant.

We decided to forgo starters and get straight into the action- after being shown the different cuts of meat by a helpful happy waiter, we decided on the porterhouse to share between 3. This was absolutely delicious. Cooked med-rare as requested and wioth a lovely barbecue flavour, but not too overpowering. The steak had a sirloin and fillet so one part was melt in the mouth while the other was a bit more flavoursome- just perfect as I wanted a bit of both.

Chips are great but we only ordered one portion- could have def. done with 2 as they are a wee bit stingy- esp. as chips are £4 a pop. Salad side was also £4 and tasted fresh with not too much dressing.

They also serve Greenwich beer which I had never tried before and really enjoyed. I cannot wait to come back here for another treat. I won't be eating steak anywhere else again!
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kedi
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Monday, October 11, 2010

rudest staff I have ever seen... absolutely shocking... we were being served like we should be grateful we were there... - front staff were very helpful but the waitresses if that’s what the grunts and moans can be called were shockingly bad.
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sam
5 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, August 24, 2010