The imposing suited-and-booted sommelier leans in, eyebrows gently raised, hands clasped together. You’ve had the wine tome for 4 minutes now, but it feels like half a lifetime. If you ask for help will you appear unknowledgeable? Cheap? Will you be able to say, ‘no thanks’ if he turns the page and suggests a bottle double your budget?
The solution is simple. Stand up, walk out and head to Hawksmoor. Talk to a normal human being who just happens to love wine and doesn’t care if the bottle you order is £25 or £250, someone who is happy to talk to you about what they like or what they think you might.
You can taste wines by the glass (even at Knightsbridge where there are over 100). We’re all different, the best way to find something you like is to sample before you select. And if for any reason you’re not a fan we’ll happily swap it for something else instead.
On Mondays in London corkage is just £5. For maximum value bring a Balthazar of Burgundy or a Solomon (20 litres!) of Sangiovese. Or come proudly armed with a cheeky bottle of Blue Nun from the local offie. No judgement.
If the desire grabs you, online couriers like ‘Drop’ can deliver a bottle right to our door and we will keep it in the fridge or wine room for you until you arrive. And if you’ve got something a bit special at home you want to drink with amazing steak any other day of the week, you’re welcome to bring it in and pay corkage of £25.
2/3 courses & a drink £30/£35
We have a summer set lunch menu in collaboration with Open Table featuring 2/3 courses and a drink for £30/£35 (click here to see menu/book) featuring our 35-day dry-aged rump & chips, roasted hake, fresh salads and fruity desserts.
If the sun does bless us with its presence, Knightsbridge and Borough are also serving oysters, perfect with a sharp, cold glass of rosé or a Hawksmoor IPA, while others swelter outside.
Subterrenean Series
Spitalfields Bar has created an Ocho tequila inspired Cherry Blossom Margarita slushie to chillax with in the bar, priced at £5 it will expire at the end of the month. And did we mention all our restaurants have air con, wifi and refreshments on hand at all times?
Spitalfields Bar awarded 'Best International Restaurant Bar'
When’s the best time to tear up the blueprint and start again? We hope the answer is, ‘when you’re winning’. Two weeks ago we scooped an award at the most prestigious awards in the bar industry, Tales of the Cocktail, making Hawksmoor Spitalfields the Best International Restaurant Bar for the second time. Work has secretly been underway for almost a year for a complete overhaul of the cocktail menu, so if you want to try world-beating drinks come in soon before we try to raise the bar again.
Edinburgh's new Private Dining Room
Hawksmoor Edinburgh will be changing too. In response to huge demand for more private event space we’re having a big overhaul and will be closed from 9th of September. When we reopen on the 20th we’ll be celebrating our first birthday, a year after opening in the jaw-dropping ‘building of national importance’ just off St. Andrews Square. It’s been a privilege opening a restaurant in a city we love so much. If you’re coming up to Edinburgh for the Festival in August, please drop in for locally sourced seafood, grass-fed beef and world-beating drinks. And sign up here to join in the Hawksmoor Edinburgh soft launch happenings in September.
Meatopia 2019
August sees Hawksmoor super-chef Richard Turner at his annual weekend-long love affair of meat, drink, fire and music MEATOPIA UK from Friday 30th August – 1st September at London’s Tobacco Dock. A legendary event for food lovers, book now.
Lost Village
Hawksmoor will also be popping up at LOST VILLAGE, a surreal and intimate 4 day experience in the heart of a long-forgotten forest in Lincolnshire 22nd-25th August. More information here. We hope to see you there.
For more stories, Hawksmoor history, people and recipes you can buy Hawksmoor books here, or just book a table at any Hawksmoor restaurant here.