Hawksmoor

Hawksmoor restaurant is a firm favourite among us bloggers. For me, they do the best steaks in London, hands down. Then, they managed to come up with what I consider the best burger too. Now, they are introducing a different guest breed each month in addition to their established Longhorns, so customers have the opportunity to compare them and, as Hawksmoor put it ’savour the difference’.

So, all in the name of research, they asked if a group of us would like to come over and sample numerous different breeds and cuts of steak. Are you kidding? You would have to be certifiably mad (or vegetarian, no link intended), to turn that one down. That evening then, we worked our way through 17 – yes 17 different steaks. It was basically what I imagine being in heaven must be like.

Hawksmoor are also famous for making excellent drinks and on arrival we took refreshment in the form of this glorious tropical punch – perfect for the sunny weather. I cast aside any memories of lethal, tongue stripping student concoctions as the tangy mix of lemons, passion fruits, pineapples and subtle coconut blended perfectly.

Before the meat fest got underway, we jumped at the chance to get a sneak preview of the kitchen which is actually surprisingly small, with most of the space taken up by this massive charcoal grill. This is where the magic happens. Let the charring commence.

Our charming hosts for the evening, Will Beckett and Huw Gott were on hand to tell us everything we could possibly want to know about steak and I learned a lot – such as the difference between wet and dry ageing of beef. Wet is basically vacuum packed in plastic while dry aged beef is ‘hung’ and, although it may be loosely covered with muslin, it is not sealed in any way. Dry ageing is preferable as it gives a more deep, beefy flavour and soft texture but it also means that the beef shrinks, making it an unpopular method with the profit hungry. Hawksmoor of course, use only dry aged beef.

Now tantalisingly close to steak o’clock, we were provided with handy tasting sheets, which turned out to be absolutely essential as things started to get a little confusing after steak 9 or 10.

And then it started to arrive…and just kept on coming. We sampled 5 sirloins, 10 rib eyes, 1 rump chop and a flatiron. Almost all the steaks were cooked medium rare and, although I usually eat my steak rare, I think this was absolutely right for the tasting. The variation in colour between the steaks was extensive as was the difference in textures and flavours. Among my flavour tasting notes I have scribbled down words such as, ‘almost livery, deep, buttery, rich’ and for texture, ‘toothsome, tender, looser, soft, silky and smoky.’

We eventually tried to narrow it down to a top three – here are mine. At number three, the Ginger Pig Longhorn sirloin cut, which had an almost gamey flavour and was nearly up there with my number two, the Wild Beef South Devon sirloin – very deep and beefy in flavour with a hugely satisfying bite. I have written underneath, ‘SO BEEFY!’ – I was clearly excited. The number one for me and I think many of us though was the Ginger Pig Longhorn rib eye. This had a really silky texture, was rich and moist and had lots of lovely fat running through it which our corner of the table agreed was actually cheesy – Stilton-like in flavour. Amazing.

Along with all that meat we also devoured numerous bowls of salad, triple cooked chips and the most incredibly buttery béarnaise. Ooof.

After that truly epic meal, I must admit even my stomach of steel was beginning to feel a little fatigued. Thankfully I had remembered to wear a loose fitting top to go some way towards concealing the bloating. Despite our gorging however, my friend and I even managed to round off the meal with a Bompas and Parr designed pyramid jelly (even if we did spend more time wibbling it around than eating it) – now that is dedication. A massive thanks to Hawksmoor for such a fantastic evening – I honestly think I stumbled out on some sort of red meat high and it was totally worth the four days (porky visit to Szechuan restaurant aside) of vegetarianism afterwards.

Helen's profile     Other reviews by Helen     Helen likes    

It's really felt like Spring in London the last couple of days. Mornings have been clear and bright, the daytime air is dry and noticeably warmer than before, and it's even been light on my journey home in the evenings. And with the change in the weather the restaurants in the capital - well, the good ones - will start taking advantage of seasonal ingredients and revamp their menus, so it's out with parsnips and hotpots and game, and in with asparagus, spring lamb and lemon sole. Which is all very well for French restaurants, gastropubs and bistros, but how do you keep your menu fresh and relevant if you're a steakhouse and essentially serve the same premium meat and chips all year round? Top-end beef purveyors Hawksmoor have answered that in style by knuckling down and creating the best burger in London.

I realise that's quite a claim to make. After all, the marketplace for what is cringingly known as the "gourmet burger" has exploded in the last couple of years, starting with the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Hamburger Union and the like, and more recently going all top-end with Haché and Byron. And yet, while most of these places serve perfectly serviceable food (Haché in particular is worth checking out), nowhere has quite the obsession with quality and sourcing as the boys in Hawksmoor. They have, I'm reliably informed, been eating more burgers than are good for them in the last few months, honing and perfecting the recipe and paying detailed attention to every element, from the lightly-toasted brioche bap to the mixture of unusual cuts of meat from the Ginger Pig's superb longhorn cattle. The end result is worth every penny of its hefty £15 price tag.

Served with their famous triple-cooked chips, the Hawksmoor burger comes with a couple of slices of delicately sweet pickle, a slice of fresh red onion, a slice of meaty beef tomato, some crispy lettuce doused in a whole grain mustard mayonnaise, and surrounded in billowy pads of sweet (but not too sweet) toasted brioche buns. But despite these excellently judged accompaniments, the real star is the meat - juicy and complex, with an almost metallic flavour and satisfying, gelatinous bite. The beef from the Ginger Pig has, in my own humble opinion, a flavour rich and earthy enough to challenge anything USDA-branded from across the pond, and is the single most important factor that lifts this burger above all the competition. It is also, I would imagine, the reason why it's more expensive than all the competition too, but hey, you get what you pay for. Also, and I realise it's early days, but I would have liked the option to customise my burger slightly. In the interests of research, and despite the suspicious glances of the serving staff, I removed the vegetables from the bun and ate part of the burger au naturel - just the bread, meat and cheese. It was wonderful.

This was already my favourite restaurant in this part of town, and now they just happen to be serving up the best burger money can buy is not about to change that. Hawksmoor has long been a perfect example of how passion, technical skill and an almost dangerous obsession with quality and providence can create stunning results. The fact that they are beginning to apply that energy to the creation of new dishes is a most exciting trend. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Cheese's profile     Other reviews by Cheese     Cheese likes    

Having heard VERY good things about the burgers at Hawksmoor, which are available only as a lunchtime special, I hastily booked a day off of work and made a reservation for 2pm. Not really, the day off wass well deserved and not solely for the purpose of a burgerfest, only in part!

So Thomas and I head for Commercial St on Friday lunchtime, eagerly anticipating the supposed best burger in London. We were disappointed by Hache and for Thomas GBK still held the crown so I was keen to find a new victor.

The search for the perfect burger is something Thomas and I have become rather preoccupied with, resorting to making our own of late. In New York I adored the experience at The Burger Joint but admittedly, it’s sort of gimmicky and the actual food was above average but certainly beatable.

Having sampled the Hawksmoor offering I am pleased to say there is a new firm favourite, London Rules!

This is unadulterated burger heaven. There is not one thing I would criticise, except perhaps the £15 price tag but then I didn’t have to eat for the rest of the day because I was so sated. Also, when considering the superior ingredients, beef from the Ginger Pig for example, it is well worth paying that little bit extra. The Oggleshield cheese was also notable, I’ve never tasted such a deep and satisfying cheese on a burger before and I’ll be seeking it out for sure.

The combination of crispy lettuce, juicy tomato, slight heat from the mustard and the punch of the red onion and mild gherkins makes for virtual perfection. Every mouthful was a joy and the only thing that failed to knock my socks of were the fries. I found them average, but upon further reflection I'm struggling to pinpoint exactly how they might be improved. Perhaps they could have been a little darker in colour and a tad crispier. I love that the waitress offered mayonnaise, I cannot fully enjoy chips without it. The homemade ketchup is a nice touch too.

As well as the faultlessness of the dish, the service was excellent (the only slight blip being the necessity to ask twice before a coke found it’s way to the table). We arrived 30 minutes early and were instantly seated. The food arrived promptly and I would recommend coming at lunchtimes for the reason that service was great and obviously due to the the burger not available in the evenings.

We started with the Pan fried Scallops with Yorkshire Chorizo to share, the quality of the chorizo was what really sang out about this dish and it was over all too quickly as we hungrily devoured it with speed thinking that it was really all about the burger! This did provide a fitting and more then adequate warm up though.

I enjoyed everything about this meal and even Thomas agreed that this is without doubt THE best burger we have ever had. I cannot rave enough about it really, we shall return, I am spreading the word to everyone I talk to and I eagerly anticipate trying one of their steaks. At long last, the search is over.

Boo's profile     Other reviews by Boo     Boo likes    

If my excellent first visit to Hawksmoor wasn't enough to convince me that these guys know their meat, then the subsequent visit certainly did. I and several other bloggers were invited to Hawksmoor to a steak tasting, to try out different breeds of cow. I was disproportionately excited, to the point of nervousness. I needn't have worried as the owners, Will Beckett and Huw Gott were most excellent hosts.

When we arrived, we were shown to an impressive dining room. A large retangular wooden table was adorned with cutlery in a raised part at the back, partitioned with red curtain. We started off with a delicious punch which consisted of passionfruit, prosecco and a little pineapple. It was summer in a really cute glass - bought from Ebay, apparently. I coveted it.

Onto the steak tasting. I must say, I learnt an awful lot about the complexities of aging meat. Dry aged? Wet aged? I am now an expert. Well, not quite, but dry aged is preferable to wet for flavour, whereas wet aging is more economically viable as dry aged meat shrinks, but suffers in the flavour stakes.

When I was presented with the steak tasting sheet, I was overwhelmed with glee. There were 17 note boxes - which means 17 different mouthfuls! We kicked off with the sirloins, of which the South Devon beef, supplied by Wild Beef was my favourite of them all. The cows are 36 months old when they go to slaughter and this produced a deep grassy flavour, ever-so-slightly chewy. Not that this is a bad thing, mind; I have healthy enough teeth. Of the sirloins one of the marked differences I found was in texture. For example, the West Cork Hereford sirloin was very loose in texture, whereas the Angus / Charolais cross was much denser in flesh.

All the cuts of meat were cooked to medium rare. Whilst I go for rare when ordering sirloin or fillet I think it's vital to have rib eye medium rare, as the extra time on the heat gives the fat more of a chance to melt, resulting in a tastier bite.

And so came the rib eyes. I'd love to say I can recall each and every one of them, but since I've come away from the experience, I know which ones stood out and which ones were favourite and which ones were least impressive. The Casterbridge (Modern Cross) rib eye bled a lot on the plate, which according to Huw is not a good sign. It had a lighter flavour and was the least complex of the lot. The same is said for the Ruby Red Devon - such a pretty name, but failing to live up to expectations. On the otherside of the spectrum, the Longhorn from Ginger Pig was a delight - some of us (including me) said it had a Stilton-esque flavour to the rich, silky and unctuous fat. Similarly, Farmer Sharp's Galloway had a caramel, almost toasty flavour to the fat and the flesh.


As if that wasn't enough, we were finally presented with this flat iron steak, from the shoulder of the cow.

This was Aberdeen Angus, from Jack O'Shea. Look at the beast! We placed a fork next to it for comparitive purposes. The flesh had an almost livery flavour and was pleasantly gamey, but unfortunately it defeated us and was taken away to be made into doggy bags for us to take home.

What a fantastic night. Having consumed around 6kg of steak between 12 of us, it was definitely a case of pescetarianism for the next few days, but my god. What a night. It also confirmed that Ginger Pig' Longhorn meat is the daddy of all steak, and that the Hawksmoor lot know what they're doing as that's the steak on offer on their menu. The restaurant's food is cooked here:

Barely room to swing a cat. I don't know how they do it, but it's magic.

When we were offered dessert, I laughed. But then again, having had a cursory glance at the menu, I spotted jelly and I do love jelly so. I ordered one to share, and we had much fun giving it a good ol' wibble wobble. The moulds were designed by Bompas & Parr, the jellymongers. It was a light and refreshing end to the meal.

I waddled off home a happy girl.

Read more reports on the night here, here and here.

If this doesn't motivate you to get yourself down to Hawksmoor and try their steak, then I'm afraid I haven't explained myself very well.

Hollow's profile     Other reviews by Hollow     Hollow likes    

Well, it took nearly three years of plaintive moaning from London's meat enthusiasts, but I am pleased to say that the good people of Hawksmoor have finally caved and thrown their buns into the capital's burger wars.

It's been no small matter either, because as with most exploits, Hawksmoor like to do things properly not quickly. So, I was told by Tim, the estimable manager, they have tasted over forty different buns, as many cheeses and enough ground meat to make Tobe hooper shudder.

But, I am delighted to say, the wait has been worthwhile.

The offer of burger and chips at Hawksmoor is not a cheap one. It comes in at a hefty £15 with an order of triple cooked chips. But for that sizable amount you are presented with the best part of 1/2lb of lean longhorn mixed with fattier cuts including two I had never encountered "clod" and "sticking" which I am told are from the shoulder and add richneess to the burger. So to does the clever addition of bone marrow. With the option of Oggleshield cheese, the burger is served pink and comes on a semi-sweet brioche bun with a dressing of raw red onion, lettuce, tomato and a mustard mayonnaise.

As with all good burgers, the knife and fork provided should never be touched and the Hawksmoor Hamburger is one to be picked up and chewed upon in Desperate Dan size bites as the juices flow from meat, to chin to floor. It does not disappoint, but, there are still elements that need improvement. The cheese needs to melt more before the burger is presented, the bun needs to be toasted less, if indeed at all and the mustard mayonnaise needs a spot more punch. An additional option of bacon was not available because the batch sent from The Ginger Pig was too salty.

But, these are small matters for a superb hunk of meat that comes the closest yet to those that gladden my fatty heart on visits to the good old US of Stateside.

As I said, it's not cheap, but by comparison to those on offer elsewhere in London (Hache apart) this is welcome news for London's downtrodden burger enthusiasts.

All they need now is to listen to my cries for a Hawksmoor hot dog and even I might stop complaining.

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