Ginormous cuts of free range meat, fabulous cocktails and desserts that would feed a large (very hungry) family all combine to make Hawksmoor Shoreditch’s best kept secret.

The Venue
Less than a five minute walk away from the Brick Lane side of Spitalfields Market, Hawksmoor is so low key that there’s not even any obvious signage to distinguish it from the rest of the stretch of buildings (although if you’re keeping an eye on the pavement it’ll be easy to spot as they appear to be fanatical about sweeping the street outside free of fag butts and general city grime every hour or so). Inside, it’s just as laid back with regulars sitting shoulder to shoulder at the long bar whilst the rest of the room is dedicated to dining.

The Atmosphere
The first thing that’ll strike you at Hawksmoor is just how friendly the restaurant staff all are – regulars are greeted with a hug and a kiss on both cheeks before being shown to their table and newcomers are happily welcomed into old timers’ conversations at the bar. Suits and Shoreditch fashionistas rub shoulders, united for a night by their love of fine food and drink and the resulting mish-mash of personalities only adds to the restaurant’s charm.

The Food
Having a meal at Hawksmoor and not ordering meat is a bit like going around to local resident Tracey Emin’s house and not talking about art. It just ain’t gonna happen. The menu changes often in line with seasonal ingredients but one thing that always remains constant is that the main courses are vast so it’s worth ordering light starters if you want to have room left at the end of the meal for dessert. Cured salmon with cucumber salad (£8.50) is a generous portion and the richness of the salmon is offset perfectly with the cool crispness of the cucumber pieces. Alternatively, the salads are always very imaginative and include such combinations as chicory, pear and stilton. The ingredients are always robust enough to stand on their own and yet work beautifully together thanks to the contrast of textures and creamy, sweet and sour flavours.

Even a small portion of the main courses is nearly twice the size of dishes at most other London restaurants and steaks are the stars of the show at Hawksmoor – the meat is free range and hails from Longhorn cattle reared in North Yorkshire and the depth of flavour is achieved by the meat being hung for 28 days. The giant slabs of steak are thrown onto a simple charcoal grill and cooked to order and whilst the options on the menu extend to a 600g bone-in sirloin (£26.50), rib eye (400g for £21.50, 600g for £26.50), fillet (£10 per 100g) and 500g rump (£19.50), if you prefer a different cut they’ll happily order it in for you given 48 hours’ notice. However, if your budget stretches to it opt for the surf and turf option of a half grilled lobster that’s plump, tender and delicately flavoured and a pillowy 300g fillet that’s butter smooth when you cut into it (£48). If you’re prepared to venture away from steak you’ll be glad that you did. Particularly recommended is the Barnsley lamp chop (£19.50) that’s cooked medium rare, so tasty you’ll linger over every bite and an astonishingly large portion for the price given that it covers over half of the plate. This truly is comfort food with class. The US influence extends to the sides that include triple cooked chips (£3.50), baked sweet potatoes (£3) that are best mashed with loads of melted butter and black pepper and mounds of macaroni cheese (£6.50).

You won’t finish the desserts but they’re still worth ordering - not only delicious they’re take-a-photo humungous. The Knickerbocker Glory (£7) is served in a towering traditional sundae glass and piled with layer after layer of ice cream, berries and plump peaches that have been pre-soaked in Liquor 43. Other childhood favourites are given an adult twist such as blackberry jelly and ice cream (£5.50) and in colder months, the plum crumble (£6.50) with its just-tart-enough plums and crunchy buttery topping served with a dollop of clotted cream will chase away even the severest of winter blues.

The Drink
Whilst the food is incredible, Hawksmoor is just as famed for its drinks’ lists. Thanks to its proximity to The City and diners who demand a decent wine list, the bottles on offer are impressive and include plenty of organic wines too. A lot of the cheaper wines are available by the glass with the cheapest bottles of white and red starting at £22 (£5.75 a glass) for the Californian Cline White Truck (2004) and the Cline Red Truck (2005) respectively. The most expensive bottles can come in at over £250 a bottle but it’s the exclusivity of the wine that you’re paying for and if you’re in the mood for a magnum to celebrate you’ll need to dig deep – they start at £195 for a Tuscan Tiganello (1999) and peak at £795 for a French Chateau Margaux. More reassuringly, a decent bottle of Chianti Classico ‘I Bastioni’ (2005) comes in at £32.50 and accompanies all of the meat dishes well. Even if you don’t have room for dessert, take time to digest the giant preceding portions with a glass of dessert wine – money well spent at £5.50 for a Californian Bonny Doon Muscat Vin de Glacier.

However, if you’re not passionate about wine you’ll still be well catered for. Budweiser is served on draught and the cocktails are worth a visit in their own right. Not only are they are excellently made and far superior to offerings from most of the other bars in the area, the staff are refreshingly down to earth in their approach and even if you try and test them by ordering off-list every bartender’s most loathed cocktail (otherwise known as a Long Island Tea) they won’t flinch and will serve it up with a smile. When it comes to the recommended cocktails at Hawksmoor the Juleps are compulsory and all really reasonably priced at £6.50. The list includes several mint juleps but you’re best off starting with the Hawksmoor Julep (their variation on the Major Bailey or Gin Julep) that muddles fresh mint with gin, lemon thyme syrup and gooseberries and is served with plenty of crushed ice in a metal julep glass. However, if you really want to test your mettle opt for the Rob Roy (£7.50) and prepare for your eyes to water – the potent cocktail allegedly hails from a Manhattan specially created for a party thrown at the Manhattan Club by Winston Churchill’s mother, and is a mixture of Scotch stirred with Vermouth, Compass Box Orangerie and orange bitters.

The Last Word
Every so often a superb restaurant comes along that makes you realise just what you’ve been missing at other more inferior establishments and Hawksmoor is one such restaurant. The best elements of American and British cuisine, quality cocktails and first class hospitality is all served up with a warm smile but with supersize portions, you'd better make sure that you’re ravenous.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (13) image gallery (5) book a table