Having been consistently impressed by the Hawksmoor group in the past, we were excited to visit their original Spitalfields location. We’re huge fans of their Regent Street and Knightsbridge restaurants, so we were thrilled to see where it all began.
Wading through the bustling atmosphere to find our table, it became apparent pretty quickly that Hawksmoor, Spitalfields, is the younger, cooler sibling of the group’s other restaurants. With a more casual dining room to suit the Shoreditch in-crowd, this restaurant is the place to be. It seems that we were in fact late to the party, as even on the Sunday evening that we visited it was hard to spot an empty table.
Once seated, we began our evening with a glass of the Hambledon Classic Cuvée NV, whilst taking in the atmosphere and browsing the menu. Knowing the high quality of the produce Hawksmoor use to create their dishes, our choices were easy.
“The chateaubriand in particular was just beautiful.”
To start, we opted for the Hawksmoor smoked salmon and soda bread, served with a fresh squeeze of lemon and a neat garnish of watercress. We also decided on the half native lobster also served with watercress, as well as garlic butter. The lobster in particular was just beautiful.
For our main course we shared the 500g chateaubriand, which came served in a cast iron dish. We also decided on the gorgeous peppercorn sauce, which complimented the meat perfectly. This dish was simply superb - the finest, tastiest cut of meat that simply melted in the mouth.
For sides, we went with the triple cooked chips, the creamed spinach and the butter sprout tops; each one just as delicious as the last.
To complement our meal, we opted for a bottle of the 2014 Tuscan Podere Podere Scopetone Rosso di Montalcino. This wine really is a joy, the quality of fruit is just incredible; red berries are immediately noted and provided the perfect accompaniment.
Unfortunately we overindulged and had to pass on dessert, our neighbouring tables did look to be enjoying their desserts, hopefully next time around we can make it through to dessert.
This restaurant comes highly recommended by us as a great restaurant for fantastic steak and stunning seafood in a relaxed, yet buzzing setting.
The Bill: £53 per head
