Hawksmoor, 5A Air Street, London W1J 0AD
24/11/2012
She said: I had previously known about
Hawksmoor as a strictly meat-eater’s domain so when I heard that this new West
End opening also specialised in fish I wanted to see what the whole Hawksmoor
buzz was about. Sitting above Regent Street in a long
horizontal Art Deco dining space, entered through an easy-to-miss side door on
Air Street, Hawksmoor felt elegant, comfortable and smart. We were seated in a
u-shaped banquette near the middle of the room so could survey the room and its
diners comfortably. Service was attentive without being fussy. I went for the set menu at £25 for three
courses. I had the shrimps on toast to start which was a juicy, garlic soaked
concoction, followed by a whole Royal bream with a side of mushrooms which again
was cooked to perfection and melted in the mouth. To finish I had the lemon
tart which was perfect but also dug into his peanut butter shortbread with
salted caramel ice cream which he ordered as my back-up! Overall I enjoyed the Hawksmoor experience.
I thought the food, service and setting was good but it needs to be busy to
have an atmosphere otherwise it could feel a little soulless and cold. I would
certainly come back.
He said: What I like most about
Hawksmoor is the back-to-basics feel to it; not to the space, which is
distinctly opulent in that pared-back art deco way, but to the food. There is
no over-elaboration; the menu is short, and every dish focused on simplicity,
allowing each of the few ingredients involved to sing out. So my Caesar salad
was the classic, without the modern bells and whistles, and my trout was
visibly a trout, eyes and all, for me to hack away at. My only disappointment
on the food front was stale/tough croutons in the salad, which is a major issue
in a dish of just four ingredients (plus dressing). Service was easy-going but
efficient, in keeping with the formula. For me the only false note was in the
interior; I am a big sucker for art deco so, in theory, I should have loved
this place, but the fluorescent light just killed the vibe. Before writing me
off as a ponce you just go see for yourself. Like me you’ll probably walk away
thinking ‘that was nice’, but with so many great restaurants in London it might
be a while before a repeat visit. Somehow this recent opening is already on the
map for tourists, so make sure to book.
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