I thought I’d posted my Hawksmoor review but no! So here it is. (Visited end of Febuary 2018)
I’ve always wanted to visit Hawksmoor but thought it out of my depth. The soft launch gave me the opportunity to come in and see what was on offer and try several dishes. We checked out the menu from home and the one in the restaurant was pretty much the same, give or take one or two things, so we already knew what we’d like to sample.
We chose three starters - Potted beef & bacon with Yorkshires & onion gravy, Bone marrow with onions, and Ash-baked beetroot with pickled fennel, horseradish & hazelnuts. I absolutely loved the potted beef option and could have this by itself for lunch easily! The marrow was very nice with the onions being a nice sweet contrast to the savoury, creamy marrow. The beetroot was lovely, so refreshing and like the one I’d had at Blacklock last year.
We shared one main - Herb fed chicken - it was a lovely balance of flavours but I thought it a tiny bit dry. Still delicious, though.
We also got sides - Dripping fries, Buttered English greens, and the Doddington Caesar salad. The fries were a nod to my dining partner, they were delicious but not special and not many of them. The greens were perfectly cooked. The salad was much bigger than I had expected and I was feeling very full but I did enjoy the presentation and taste very much.
Yes, we were almost bursting but did share a Burnt Butter ice cream scoop. This was a fantastic choice - not too much of it, not too sweet and intensely buttery and delicious. I couldn’t fault anything I ate. Beautiful.
The service too was excellent. My partner asked if the heat was on and we were cheerfully moved to a warmer table. Each server was attentive and helpful. We heard other tables’ occupants being serenaded with patient descriptions of the food too.
So of course the soft launch prices were a big draw. But the big question is - would I go back and pay full price? Easy! Yes! There’s more to enjoy!
(Below the potted beef starter - easily enough for a whole meal for me. Behind it, the marrow - smothered in sweet caramelised onions, and to the right in the shadow, the beets)
