Hawksmoor Seven Dials
The fourth biannual Steak Appreciation Society (S.A.S) meeting took place last Thursday, the 6th October 2011. Now into its third year, S.A.S membership is growing as a pace and following the recent ratification of our newest three recruits; it now totals sixteen of the finest carnivores our great nation has produced.
The latest meeting took place at the much-hyped Hawskmoor Seven Dials. Since opening to the public in the autumn of last year, Hawksmoor Seven Dials has become widely regarded as the best steak restaurant in London. It has received many great reviews and has been awarded numerous accolades including most recently, Best New Restaurant in the Time Out Eating and Drinking Awards 2011.
With such fantastic things said about Hawksmoor, it is understandable that expectations of the S.A.S were particularly high on this occasion.
We met for a pre-feast tipple at a local pub on the Sevens Dials. At 8PM sharp we headed down Mercer Street then zigzagged towards Langley Street where the mighty Hawksmoor awaited us. The Langley street venue is situated well, away from the hustle and bustle of theatre land but near enough to be convenient.
The entrance to Hawksmoor Seven Dials is a grand one. Diners are greeted at the ground-level reception by the very friendly front-of-house. Then guests make their way down into a subterranean bar for aperitifs.
Hawksmoor has an especially warm welcome for members of the S.A.S, in that our motto ‘Beef and Liberty’ is written in big gold letters, framed high up on the wall that faces you as you enter the bar.
Things were getting off to a good start.
The owners of Hawksmoor have spared no expense in making the Seven Dials venue a very special one. The attention to detail throughout is spectacular. Much of the building retains its original features (it used to be a brewery) including a vaulted brick ceiling and cast iron pillars. And many of the furnishings have been salvaged from other places including the parquet flooring and wood paneling.
As well as selling great quality beef steaks, Hawksmoor has built a reputation as a purveyor of fine cocktails to suit. The impressive cocktail list comprises all the usual favourites, some long lost classics as well as some new ones invented by their award-winning mixologists. Our treasurer had kindly prearranged some very appropriate drinks. A meat-infused martini awaited each member to kick-start the evening’s affairs.
Things were going very well.
With headcount growing at a rate of two a meeting, one of the challenges we’re facing is finding quality venues that can cater to such a crowd. Fortunately Hawksmoor Seven Dials has the perfect space. The private room seats up to 16 people and regularly hosts other steak clubs including the Liverpool and London Gentlemen and the Steakholders.
The evening got underway with an introduction by the Chairman and the welcoming of our latest recruits, Messrs.’ Trehane, Childs and Schrijnen. The newly appointed Recorder, Mr Ben Ashby, took thorough minutes of the evening’s events, full details of which can be found in the meetings section.
For the sake of simplicity we had arranged a set menu, a £60 per-head, comprising:
- Starters: Tamworth Belly Ribs – Smoked Salmon – Summer Salad
- Mains: Porterhouse – Prime Rib – Chateaubriand
- Selection of Sides & Sauces
- Puddings: Sticky Toffee Pudding or Ice Cream or Neal’s Yard Cheeses
The meat was washed down with some tasty Rioja priced around the £50 mark.
All the beef served at Hawksmoor is sourced from the highly regarded Ginger Pig. The Ginger Pig have raised the largest herd of Longhorns in the country, which comprises 140 cows and 220 calves at any one time. They provide meat to a number of London’s leading restaurants. And for aspiring butchers, Ginger Pig also run a series of courses at their Marylebone shop.
Cooked over a charcoal grill, the steaks at Hawksmoor are prepared in our favourite way. Always intrigued to see the masters in action, we usually request a guided tour of the kitchen. Sadly on this occasion however, we were not permitted a look as their kitchen’s size apparently does not permit for guests. Even important ones like us.
When the main course arrived an eerie silence fell across the room. It was easy to sense the nervous anticipation felt by all. Sadly however, as the feasting began, the reaction to the Hawksmoor beefsteaks was not as positive as we had hoped for.
This is not to say the meat was not good quality, but it certainly lacked the depth and flavour we were expecting from steaks of such an establishment. The meat was also slightly overcooked for our collective liking.
On any other day of the week, had we tasted the steaks served to us by Hawksmoor, we would have likely commented on how good they were. But the combined expectation of the magical Hawksmoor & Ginger Pig collaboration, together with the levels of quality the S.A.S have become accustomed to, unfortunately left a disappointing taste in our mouths.
It was also slightly disappointing not to have been told more about the steaks ahead of the meal. On our recent visit to Goodman for example, Jonathan showed us the uncooked steaks beforehand and spoke eloquently about the provenance of each before taking our orders. We expected at least this level of expertise and advise coming from Hawksmoor, especially given how passionate and expert the owners obviously are.
Perhaps one of the problems was ordering a set menu. In the absence of choice there was perhaps less reason for an introduction to the product, but nonetheless a high level of expertise is always appreciated.
Since visiting Hawksmoor, the owners have been in contact with both the treasurer and myself to follow up on our experience. On hearing that we did not entirely enjoy our steaks, they made a very generous offer for us to come and experience Hawksmoor Seven Dials a second time.
Needless to say we have accepted and we are all excited about our return visit late in the year.
In the meantime we’re booked into our Ginger Pig butchery course and will be trying out some recipes at home courtesy of the Hawksmoor’s new book, Hawksmoor At Home.
Beef & Liberty
