Hawksmoor

Forgive me the lapse in posts, this is due to illness and general exhaustion.

Having heard VERY good things about the burgers at Hawksmoor, which are available only as a lunchtime special, I hastily booked a day off of work and made a reservation for 2pm. Not really, the day off wass well deserved and not solely for the purpose of a burgerfest, only in part!

So Thomas and I head for Commercial St on Friday lunchtime, eagerly anticipating the supposed best burger in London. We were disappointed by Hache and for Thomas GBK still held the crown so I was keen to find a new victor.

The search for the perfect burger is something Thomas and I have become rather preoccupied with, resorting to making our own of late. In New York I adored the experience at The Burger Joint but admittedly, it’s sort of gimmicky and the actual food was above average but certainly beatable.

Having sampled the Hawksmoor offering I am pleased to say there is a new firm favourite, London Rules!


This is unadulterated burger heaven. There is not one thing I would criticise, except perhaps the £15 price tag but then I didn’t have to eat for the rest of the day because I was so sated. Also, when considering the superior ingredients, beef from the Ginger Pig for example, it is well worth paying that little bit extra. The Oggleshield cheese was also notable, I’ve never tasted such a deep and satisfying cheese on a burger before and I’ll be seeking it out for sure.


The combination of crispy lettuce, juicy tomato, slight heat from the mustard and the punch of the red onion and mild gherkins makes for virtual perfection. Every mouthful was a joy and the only thing that failed to knock my socks of were the fries. I found them average, but upon further reflection I'm struggling to pinpoint exactly how they might be improved. Perhaps they could have been a little darker in colour and a tad crispier. I love that the waitress offered mayonnaise, I cannot fully enjoy chips without it. The homemade ketchup is a nice touch too.

As well as the faultlessness of the dish, the service was excellent (the only slight blip being the necessity to ask twice before a coke found it’s way to the table). We arrived 30 minutes early and were instantly seated. The food arrived promptly and I would recommend coming at lunchtimes for the reason that service was great and obviously due to the the burger not available in the evenings.

We started with the Pan fried Scallops with Yorkshire Chorizo to share, the quality of the chorizo was what really sang out about this dish and it was over all too quickly as we hungrily devoured it with speed thinking that it was really all about the burger! This did provide a fitting and more then adequate warm up though.


I enjoyed everything about this meal and even Thomas agreed that this is without doubt THE best burger we have ever had. I cannot rave enough about it really, we shall return, I am spreading the word to everyone I talk to and I eagerly anticipate trying one of their steaks. At long last, the search is over.

Hawksmoor
157 Commercial St
E1
9.5/10