All reader reviews by Wooly

Hawksmoor Seven Dials

So I have now been to both Hawksmoors a few times, but I have to say my visit last weekend for Sunday lunch celebrating a friend’s birthday was fantastic - even for a restaurant high on my list of favourites.

We went to Seven Dials. The staff were great, from the friendly receptionist, to the funky guy who sorted our table and to the lovely, lovely waitress who pandered to a table of ten with a smile all afternoon. The restaurant itself is a great balance of roominess and atmosphere under the open brickwork and arches of the ex-brewery cellar.

The rich bone marrow starter was a new experience for me and I enjoyed it. In a greedy mood, I then ordered a rare 600g Rib Eye from the board. When it arrived, I noticed that although big, it seemed similar to a 400g served to one of my friends and queried if I had received the right plate??? After a quick check the waitress suggested I started on the steak and she would look into it. 5min later an entire new 600g Rib Eye appeared, much bigger that the first and I was told the first was on the house...

The first steak was superb, the second was even better – I suspect due to the extra thickness and speed of cooking to get it to the table in a hurry. I made a brave attempt to demolish them both but alas, a kilo of meat was beyond even my dedicated carnivore intentions. A few delicious beef dripping cooked chips were also consumed.

My companions all enjoyed their slightly less excessive meals, mainly beautifully cooked roasts with perfect Yorkshire puddings.

When the waitress brought us all complimentary desserts to try, I started to think maybe she was trying to kill me by making me explode! They were all delicious again, with the peanut butter shortbread served with salted caramel ice cream being a particular winner for me. Needless to say I spent the evening lying down…

If I was being very picky, as some others have commented, the chefs are a little heavy handed on the seasoning. It is not cheap, but I would argue for the quality and quantity of the food, it is good value. If you are put off by big plates of food – avoid! If however, you are like me a lover of good meat, then this has got to be on your list.

Friday, February 25, 2011
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10

Bincho Yakitori

Went for lunch here early one Saturday a few weeks ago. A lot larger on the inside than expected from the small front, the restaurant was pretty empty, but we chose to sit at the grill and watch the cooking. Contrary to some of the other reviews, service was ok, but then it was quiet. Portions are small, and if you're hungry I think a big meal could work out pricey, but I really enjoyed the yakitori and was impressed by the interesting menu. Lots of interesting choices with a good mix of meat, veg and fish based dishes. Looking forward to going back and trying a few more dishes soon.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7