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Hawksmoor Spitalfields

  • Restaurants
  • Spitalfields
  • price 3 of 4
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
  1. Hawksmoor Spitalfields (© Piotr Kowalczyk)
    © Piotr Kowalczyk
  2. Hawksmoor Spitalfields (© Piotr Kowalczyk)
    © Piotr Kowalczyk
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Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

The original branch of the famous steakhouse.

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 (a bit of Shoreditch drunk brunchers haven’t quite ruined yet) – 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.

Starters were perfect: intense, velvety bone marrow topped with sweet, caramelised onions was served – wobbling exquisitely – in pale hollowed out bones. Blissfully rich, smearing this on toast was messy and wonderful. A pot of dense mackerel paté, by contrast, was fabulously tart, served with dill-flecked pickled onions. A kohlrabi salad of celery hearts too, was sour and fresh.

Hawksmoor is famous for its sides – the menu here features 16 – and some of them were excellent. The Caesar salad featured luxurious lettuce leaves dusted with soft parmesan, crutons, anchovies, and drizzled vinaigrette (no trad Caesar salad dressing here – a ballsy move, but Hawksmoor pulls it off). Others fell short: creamed spinach was salty, and the mac and cheese was dry.

But the real let down was the steak: the fillet came overcooked and ever-so-slightly cold. Things were rescued by soft, white, almost-sweet lobster – but still, underwhelming steak and creamed spinach feels complacent from a steakhouse with Hawksmoor’s devoted-to-the-point-of-evangelical following. Especially as eating here will cost you £100, easily.

Admittedly, the service matches that price-point: the waiter was an absolute pro. Fix that fillet, and Hawksmoor Spitalfields might become one of those national treasures that just get better year-on-year, like ‘Love Island’.

Kitty Drake
Written by
Kitty Drake

Details

Address:
157a Commercial Street
London
E1 6BJ
Transport:
Tube: Liverpool Street
Price:
Dinner for two with drinks and service: £120.
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