Hawksmoor Air Street

Right on the edge of Piccadilly Circus, Hawksmoor Air Street is certainly one of the steak chain's busiest central sites, and the grand regency architecture of Regent Street really matches Hawksmoor's sultry wood and leather steakhouse chic. Like many Hawksmoor sites, you feel whisked away from the hum drum of the outside world as soon as you step through the enormous doors - at Air Street, a grand spiral staircase lifts you away from street level, and into an enormous bar and dining room that seems to stretch for miles. 

As ever at Hawksmoor, you feel in good hands as soon as you're inside. The bar area is cosy and makes a great spot for a pre-dinner cocktail, with the menu delivering some more fantastic house mixes. Our pick was a lychee martini, chilled to a refreshing -12 degrees. The dining room is a sea of emerald leather banquettes and smart wooden herringbone floors. 

There are plenty of excellent options on the menu at Hawksmoor these days, but inevitably, the eyes flutter towards that blackboard, where the real prizes live. Ours was a majestic chateaubriand, cooked to absolute medium-rare perfection, and flanked by side orders of mac and cheese, creamed spinach and beef dripping fries; Hawksmoor has really nailed the perfect crispy French fry, making this a worthy contender to the famous triple-cooked chip.

A half portion of lobster was succulent, with a hint of grill-smoke. We tried roasted scallops in white port and garlic too, and though tasty, it's hard to think that a trick isn't missed if you aren't searing a scallop - that delicious maillard crust on a scallop is one of the great joys in food. 

If you can find room for dessert, the options are simple and delicious - the famous sticky toffee pudding, apple crumble, and salted caramel rolos for the journey home. If there was ever a fear that Hawksmoor might be losing touch as it expands, well, we're not seeing any evidence of that.

Hawksmoor is a high-quality British steakhouse serving sustainable beef and seafood, with multiple venues across the UK including eight locations in London. This particular venue on Air Street is located in the West End, between Piccadilly and Regent Street, making it a prime spot for diners to enjoy some pre- and post-theatre dining.  

The large, art-deco dining room offers views over London’s iconic Regent Street, and is decked out in a typically old-school style synonymous with the brand. Expect green banquet seating, parquet wooden flooring, a backlit bar and warm, glowy lighting throughout.

Discover a menu for nearly every occasion, from set options to sharing, pre and post-theatre and of course its legendary Sunday roast. Although Hawksmoor is first and foremost a steakhouse, it's also teamed up with restaurateur, chef and author Mitch Tonks of seafood restaurant Seahorse, to manage the fish side of things, focusing on sourcing the freshest possible produce and cooking it simply over real charcoal.  

The a la carte menu kicks off with starters, such as Devon crab on toast, roasted scallops with white port and garlic and langoustine scampi, before moving onto the main event: steak! Guests are invited to choose their cut of choice (chateaubriand, fillet, rib-eye, sirloin, rump) along with their preferred sauce (highlights include anchovy hollandaise and bone marrow gravy). The sides are almost as important as the steak at Hawksmoor, with well over 10 options available including macaroni cheese, creamed spinach, beef dripping fries and buttered English greens. Of course, seafood dishes are also on offer including the likes of royal sea bream baked in garlic, rosemary and chilli, and monkfish cooked over charcoal. 

There’s a huge focus on drinks as well, with the wine list boasting reserve and fine wines, port and sherry, dessert wines and magnums. While an extensive cocktail offering includes multiple twists on highballs, martinis and Manhattans, along with plenty of signature and classic options.