The OG: Hawksmoor Spitalfields is the one that started it all.
The first in London’s Hawksmoor empire opened back in 2006, surviving several close brushes with bankruptcy before finally breaking out into the quintessential success that it is today. Just over a decade later the interiors have had a head-to-toe refurb – but the spirit of that original steakhouse remains fully intact: shorthorn beef from butchers Ginger Pig, triple cooked chips, excellent classic cocktails, and a well-curated wine list.
Without pushing too many boundaries, they’ve played it safe with Hawksmoor Spitalfields, raiding reclamation yards & antiques shops to give the space the same polished vintage feel as their other joints. Tabletops have been made from old chemistry lab workbenches. The parquet floor was sourced from a sanatorium in Northumberland. There are some nice old maps on the walls. Et cetera.
After re-doing the interiors, they also took the opportunity to revamp the menu a little, so while you’ll still find their celebrated steaks, you’ll also come across new numbers like their twelve hour beef short-rib (slow-cooked with claret, bone marrow & Roscoff onions); some roast scallops with fennel pollen & garlic; and a delightful Tunworth mash made using aged Neal’s Yard cheese. And of course, every Sunday Hawksmoor Spitalfields turns out one of the best roasts in town; a slab of slow-roasted rump tossed onto the charcoal grill and finished in the oven, before being served up alongside glorious beef dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire puds, veg, and bone marrow gravy, for £25.
Downstairs is the Hawksmoor Spitalfields bar; a kind of gleaming art deco submarine serving now-legendary concoctions like Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew; the ‘Rise & Brine’; and the Penichillin Slushy. The bad news is that the bar is currently closed temporarily. The good news, however, is that all those drinks and more are available in the restaurant, too. And by ‘more’, we more specifically mean an exceptional wine list (which not only includes Fine Burgundies, Magnums and Reserve Reds, but also some reasonably priced Normal Wines); craft ciders & beers (including two bespoke brews made in collaboration with Cornwall’s Harbour Brewery); and their generous policy of £5 corkage on Mondays (£25 on other days) should you wish to BYOB.
Mmm, box wine.
NOTE: Hawksmoor Spitalfields is open daily. You can find out more, and make a booking right HERE.
Hawksmoor Spitalfields | 157a Commercial Street, E1 6BJ
Like dining out in East London? Check out our guide to the best restaurants in Spitalfields