food time - hawksmoor borough ♥

Grab your knife and fork because today's blog post will make you seriously hungry. On Sunday afternoon Ollie and I travelled up to London Bridge and made our way through Borough Market. Burrowed in the back roads, the Hawksmoor Borough branch proudly stands. I first visited Hawskmoor in 2015 for breakfast in one of the central London restaurants but for some reason we had not been back since. What a mistake this was. Renowned for some of the best steak dishes that you can find; Hawksmoor has more to offer than just meat. Remember, I am not a big fan of steak so I love trying out other menu options.

We arrived promptly at 2:30pm and we were seated on a emerald green sofa and table area. At almost 5 months pregnant, I do appreciate sinking into a comfy leather sofa more than most. The interior has been designed with a traditional nod to fine British dining, with glossy wooden tables and a spacious bar area, the Hawksmoor Borough would be ideal for any occasion, morning or night. We were instantly handed the cocktail and wine menu and I was advised about what mocktail options I could choose from. I decided to drink the Cucumber & Ginger Swizzle and I accidentally finished this in just two minutes.

It was absolutely delicious and bursting with flavour, if you are a big fan of fresh juices, you will love this alcohol free concoction. When it came to ordering from the food menu, I was slightly torn. Ollie knew straight away he was ordering the Sunday roast, the dish included a slow roast rump served with beef dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, greens, roasted shallots and garlic and lashings of bone marrow and onion gravy. For £22.00, this roast is on the pricey side but this is no ordinary roast. 

Each section of Ollie's plate was carefully positioned and after stealing a few bites of the Yorkshire pudding, I could see why Ollie was in a good mood for the rest of the day. He was really impressed with the quality of the roast and he said it is one of the best roasts he has ever had...he certainly never says this about my cooking skills. For my main, I decided to order the South Coast Monkfish. I have a really bad habit of Googling what the dish will look like before it arrives and the monkfish looked incredibly tasty. It arrived with a wedge of lemon and a crispy, grilled skin.

I believe the monkfish had been grilled over charcoal, creating an extra smoky flavour. When it comes to describing the taste, the monkfish was very subtle. It does not have a strong fish taste and if you aren't a fan of strong seafood, monkfish would be a great option for you. After doing my research on this particular fish, a lot of people compare monkfish to lobster because of the meaty texture. I would have to agree which is why I liked it so much. We decided to skip any starters and just order a few extra sides, I had to get some thick chips for this dish and I was curious to see what would arrive.

I ordered the Triple Cooked Chips from the menu and for some reason I never usually order chips, I often overlook them. I'm glad I didn't make this mistake on Sunday. The chips were the perfect partner for the fish and the icing on the cake was the tomatoe sauce. It tasted divine and the chips were slightly crispy on the outside with a fluffy texture on the inside. The next side we ordered was Cauliflower Cheese and Parsnips with maple bacon. Probably my favourite dishes from the entire meal, the Parsnips and bacon were rich, glossy and I could have easily eaten a giant plate of them. 

So would I recommend Hawksmoor? In a world full of upcoming flower wall restaurants, it is quite refreshing to dine in a contemporary atmosphere, with fine leather sofas and top quality meat. Especially when the menu celebrates classic British dishes. I like the classic Victorian vibe and although I am not typically a fan of British food, Hawksmoor have mixed a level of luxury and quality to your traditional Sunday roast. Make no mistake, Hawksmoor is suited for fine comfort food or if you wanted a few drinks before you hit the town, the bar looks perfect.

If you wanted to book an early dinner before your theatre visit or if you wanted to start the weekend with a fine cocktail menu, Hawksmoor should certainly be on your list. A few of the drinks from the bar have also won awards so although I can't drink any cocktails for the summer season, I will be ready and raring to test the drinks menu by September. My one regret is not ordering the Anchovy Hollaindaise sauce to partner with the Monkfish. What do you think of the Hawksmoor menu? Is there anything you are dying to try? ♥