Originally published on Thursday, 4th September 2008

Hawksmoor

There are those venues that, despite minimal atmosphere, awful service and lousy fare, remain consistently and inexplicably rammed with punters, baying cattle-like at the bar with little regard for either style or worth.

Easily overlooked on Commerical Street, the cosy, bare-bricked, but often quiet Hawksmoor is quite the opposite. Serving huge, choice slabs of meat from the famed Ginger Pig, it also offers an inspirational menu of contemporary and über-classic cocktails from the award-winning alco-maestro, Nick Strangeway. And yet, whilst the bar’s been around for a fair while now, I am repeatedly amazed to find an inexplicable lack of a nightly queue outside its wooden-slatted windows.

Judge not the usual clump of post-work, high-rolling City chaps within, and step past some of the finest steaks in the city. Instead, pull up a stool at the bar, pick a section in the cocktail menu, or a spirit from the gorgeous back bar, and work your way through. From futuristic floating globes of ‘Cointreau caviar’ to authentic 19th century punches, it’s hard to be disappointed. And if the legendary Mister Strangeway should be present in all his goateed glory, do, with all respect, get him to mix  you up ‘something special’. Secret, home cask-rested gins, curious infusions lurking on shelves, molecular alchemy of the highest order…

Of course, if I find myself queuing for my monthly Manhattan next time, I’m going to regret this. In fact, forget everything I’ve said. Terrible bar, that Hawksmoor. Wouldn’t go there if you paid me.

Hours: Mon-Fri 12pm-12am • Sat 12pm-1am
Place: 157 Commercial Street, E1 6BJ
Cost: £10
Web: thehawksmoor.co.uk
Book: 020 7247 7392

by AC