Of all the many success stories in the past decade in the restaurant industry, that of Hawksmoor’s is one of the most charming. Founded in a back-alley of then-unfashionable Shoreditch in 2006 by Will Beckett and Huw Gott, it has gone on to locations throughout London, Manchester, and even has a New York opening planned for next year. Some might regard taking a steakhouse to the city synonymous with alpha male-red chunks of cow to be hubristic, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s likely to be Beckett and Gott. Often, when restaurants expand beyond their original location, the results are disappointing, but thanks to exemplary quality control, every one of their sites remains a treat to visit.
It is with the ten year mark in mind that the Knightsbridge branch of Hawksmoor has launched an anniversary menu, courtesy of executive chef Richard Turner and ‘consultant chef’ Mitch Tonks, celebrating some of the signature dishes and drinks that have become the stock-in-trade for visitors. The Knightsbridge site – subterranean, bustling, deeply civilised – seems an apt location for what turns into a serious gastronomic and alcoholic odyssey. As my Penelope on this journey, I take my comrade-in-arms Sophie, aka ‘Groggy’, who knows her way around a steak and a bottle, and who can offer commentary and appreciation with the best of them.
The menu is designed as a six-course introduction to some of the highlights of the Hawksmoor menu. At £70 per person it isn’t cheap, but given the size and quality of the dishes, it represents excellent value, especially given that a three-course a la carte offering can often cost the same, if not more. We kick off with one of the signature cocktails, a ‘Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew’, which resembles the alcoholic ginger beer of your dreams, complete with a hit of gin. Accompanied by some delectable short-rib nuggets with kimchi ketchup, it set us up for what proved to be an exercise in carnivorous delight. As you would expect.
Virtually all the dishes here are old favourites, from the scallops with white port and garlic (showing off the influence of the great Tonks) to the Tamworth pork belly ribs. The wines, all of which have a connection with Hawksmoor’s anniversary decade, are similarly iconic, not least the deliciously buttery Rousanne from Qupe that accompanies the ribs. There’s only one problem; the portions are absolutely enormous. Even for a couple of seasoned trencherpeople like Groggy and I, this threatens to be heavy going. ‘I’m in slight fear of the steak’, she whispers, agog. It’s all I – who knows what behemoths are regularly served here – can do to nod and smile.
But thankfully the gods of meat have shown us a degree of mercy because the main courses – rib eye for me, fillet for her – are substantial without being overwhelming, and the iconic side dishes, including the famous chips, the creamed spinach and what must be London’s best béarnaise sauce. As for Groggy’s anchovy hollandaise, she approvingly echoed Jay Rayner’s comments: ‘you could easily slip into a hotel room with a sauce boat of it and a consenting adult and lose a whole afternoon.’ Unfortunately we had but a few hours; nonetheless, the very fine glass of Margaux that came with mine was one to savour.
We were nearly done. A sticky toffee pudding came as the last major obstacle – and one easily handled, both because it was really very nice and because it was served with a tempting little Madeira. This of course was the cue for me to launch into a rousing chorus of Flanders and Swann’s ‘Have Some Madeira, M’Dear’, but as Groggy implored me to sit down and stop embarrassing myself, the only thing that was left was to enjoy this hugely accomplished pudding. There was a sixth and final offering of salted caramels that of course bear no relation whatsoever to Rolos (lawyers had intervened a while ago) and was served with Hawkmoor’s own ‘Clerk Of The Works’ whisky, but by then we were hors de combat and had to ask for little bags to whisk the caramels away with.
Had we had world enough and time, I could, perhaps, have risen to another Shaky Pete concoction, but we did not. Trains beckoned, and the railroad waits for no man. So we stood, feeling the weight of the repast that we had enjoyed, and thanked the delightful staff, who presumably have to watch several cows meet their Valhalla every night. And then out into the cool night air. Quoth Groggy, who was still standing – if swaying very slightly – ‘Ten years? I bet it could last for a century!’
Hopefully our grandchildren will be able to confirm this, although to prolong their lives, it might be an idea if they went just a bit easier on the food there. Especially the sticky toffee pudding.
The History of Hawksmoor menu is served at Hawksmoor Knightsbridge, costing £70 per person. For more information and bookings, visit the website.
