FOXLOW SOHO: Casual interior of the restaurant. Photo: Courtesy of Foxlow Soho

FOXLOW SOHO
8-10 Lower James Street
London, United Kingdom
W1F 9EL
020 7680 2710
www.foxlow.co.uk

By Scott Harrah

We’re huge fans of the Hawksmoor chain of British steakhouses throughout the U.K. so we jumped at the chance to dine at Foxlow Soho, brought to you by Will Beckett and Huw Gott, the two men who founded Hawksmoor. Foxlow Soho claims it serves the same British produce and meats that Hawksmoor does, but has a more relaxed, casual ambience and food that caters a bit more to the health-conscious millennial crowd at a more affordable price (the average cost of dinner for two with drinks is £50 to £70). The décor has a slight American diner vibe as well.

The menu is a bit different than the Hawksmoor restaurants. Yes, you will find steaks and seafood, but also healthier alternatives like chicken burgers and vegan options like spice-roasted cauliflower with chickpeas, wilted spinach and curried aubergine (eggplant) sauce.

Our server suggested the spice-roasted cauliflower as a starter, and it was a great choice, the spice and curried aubergine brought out the flavor of the cauliflower and the chick peas gave it a Middle Eastern touch.

Next we opted for the kale, avocado and fresh herb salad with toasted seeds. This was a delightfully summery concoction, with huge, crunchy kale and the light consistency of the avocado. My dining partner chose the five-pepper Brixham squid with a tangy deviled mayonnaise. He said the squid was tender, not overcooked and the peppers and mayo helped enhance the flavor of the squid.

For the main course, we both decided on steak. I had the sirloin, dry-aged for 30 days, while my partner chose the ribeye, also dry-aged for 30 days. When one is used to great American steaks like we are, it is always a risky selection ordering beef abroad. We have had great British steaks at the Hawksmoor and also at many restaurants on the continent. My sirloin, served medium rare as I like it, was bold and nicely marbled, but a bit too tough for what I’m used to. My partner was underwhelmed by his ribeye because he said it was full of gristle. However, we were able to enjoy our steaks regardless with some tasty HP sauce and also tucked into the deliciously salty chips (fries).

One wonders if Foxlow’s other meat mains, including Merrifield Farm chicken breast or Dingley Dell pork ribeye, might be better choices than the beef. Chicken and beef burgers are also available, as well as a set menu.

For dessert, we decided to split one of our favorite British sweets, sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream. Foxlow’s sticky toffee pudding is decadent indeed, and finished off the meal quite nicely with a steaming cup of café Americano.

Foxlow also has a number of innovative cocktails available as well as an extensive wine list. If you are in the Soho area, wanting a quick bite before a West End show that won’t break the budget, Foxlow is a good choice.

Open for Brunch, Lunch and Dinner. For bookings, email soho@foxlow.com or please visit https://www.foxlow.co.uk/

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published July 5, 2018
Reviewed on June 23, 2018 in London

SPICE-ROASTED CAULIFLOWER: With chick peas. Photo: Scott Harrah

CHOICE STARTERS: (Top) Five-pepper Brixham squid with a tangy deviled mayonnaise. (Bottom) Kale, avocado & fresh herb salad with toasted seeds. Photo: Scott Harrah

STEAKS & CHIPS: The dry-aged sirloin (front) and ribeye (back) served with mushrooms & great salty chips (fries). Photo: Scott Harrah

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HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: Great steak & seafood, among the best in London and the U.K. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET
5 Air Street
Piccadilly, Mayfair
London W1J 0AD
United Kingdom
44 20 7406 3980, http://thehawksmoor.com/locations/airstreet/

By Scott Harrah

LONDON–Hawksmoor Air Street, like all the Hawksmoor locations in London, has some of the best steak in the U.K. Two years ago we visited the Hawksmoor Seven Dials and were completely overwhelmed by the high quality of steak and seafood and the superlative service. We were anxious to try another Hawksmoor location to see if it lived up to the glories of the Seven Dials restaurant, and we were not disappointed.

Take some extra time to find the restaurant since the entrance is on a short stretch of Air Street between Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street. It is definitely worth seeking out this hidden-away Central London gem. Dining at Hawksmoor Air Street is a glorious experience from the moment one walks through the door and is greeted by the cheerful hostesses. As soon as one heads upstairs, expect to be instantly transported to a world of old-school elegance, from mirrored walls to stained-glass windows, polished veneer and banquettes. While the Seven Dials location has a pub feel, Hawksmoor Air Street is more Art Deco and a bit on the posh side, but still casual and hardly stuffy.

The menu, of course, is the star attraction at any Hawksmoor location, and Hawksmoor Air Street does not disappoint with its wide selection of seafood, juicy steaks and remarkable side dishes. There is an extensive wine list and what the British call “pre-prandials” (cocktails), from Champagne Charlie (Gin, lemon, seasonal fruit syrup and Champagne) for £12.50 to Messenger’s Tonic (Gin, Lillet Blanc, Sherry and tonic cocktail) for £10 to the Hawksmoor Collins (Gin, lemon, Campari, bitters and soda) for £9.75.

Roast scallops, with white port & garlic is a great starter. Photo: Scott Harrah

For starters, choose from roast scallops with white port and garlic, potted smoked mackerel, smoked salmon, Half Dartmouth lobster (£5.00/100h). Old Spot belly ribs, potted beef with bacon and Yorkshires, filet carpaccio with porcini, Parmesan and scallops, Evesham asparagus, buttered or hollandaise; Kohlrabi salad with celery hearts and spenwood cheese; and Doddington Caesar.

Steaks are the main reason to come to the Hawksmoor Air Street. From Chateaubriand (£13.00/100g) to Porterhouse (£9.25/100g); T-bone (£8.25/100g); bone-in prime rib (£8.25/100g) to filet (300g) for £35.00; sirloin (400g) for £29.50; Rib-eye (400g) for £31.50; rump (300g) for £19.50. Plus, sides such as maple bacon for £4.25; two fried eggs for £3.00; grilled bone marrow for £4.50. and a half Dartmouth lobster for £5.00/100g. Steaks all come with a fabulous choice of sauces: Peppercorn, bone marrow gravy, Anchovy hollandaise or Stichelton hollandaise.

However, seafood lovers will not be disappointed. Choose from turbot (grilled over charcoal) for £13.00 for 100g or royal bream, baked in paper with garlic, rosemary, and chili, for just £20. Dover sole, grilled over charcoal or Meuniere, is £36. Monkfish, grilled over charcoal, is £24 to £48.

Juicy and tender Chateaubriand served with a side of mashed potatoes & gravy. Photo: Scott Harrah

Being a carnivore who loves good steak, I asked our pleasant and helpful waiter Jordan to recommend the best steak,and he suggested the Chateaubriand, served medium rare, with the savory peppercorn sauce. He also insisted I try the roast scallops with white port and garlic and a side of beef dripping fries and mashed potatoes and gravy for my main course. I ordered a glass of lovely Malbec that went great with everything. The scallops were fresh and succulent, and the Chateaubriand was outstanding—a tender chunk of thick, lean but slightly marbled Nirvana.

Hawksmoor smoked salmon as a starter. Photo: Scott Harrah

My dining partner was feeling a bit under the weather and was not in the mood for a heavy steak, so Jordan suggested the sea bream with Jersey Royal potatoes. He enjoyed the sea bream and found it light fare for a hot British summer night. For a starter, he chose the light and flavorful Hawksmoor smoked salmon.

The Hawksmoor Air Street includes an Express Menu (Pre-Theatre) with two courses for £25 and three courses for £28 . Starters include potted smoked mackerel, potted beef and bacon with Yorkshires or Kohlrabi salad with celery hearts and spenwood cheese. Main courses include Royal bream with garlic, rosemary and and chili, or ash-baked root vegetables with spelt (known as hulled wheat in the USA) and curd’s cow. Choose from one of the following sides: Triple-cooked chips; baked sweet potato, creamed spinach or lettuce and herb salad. For dessert (puddings), try peanut butter shortbread, sticky toffee pudding or passion-fruit cheesecake.

Sides are also something one simply cannot miss at Hawksmoor Air Street, from the beef dripping fries (£4.50) to triple-cooked chips (£4.50); mashed potatoes and gravy (£4.50); Jersey Royals (£5) to baked sweet potato (£4). Also look for macaroni and cheese (£5.50); creamed spinach (£5.50); spinach, lemon and garlic (£5.25); roasted field mushrooms (£4). plus a selection of salads for £4.

We loved the beef dripping fries and the mashed potatoes and gravy, as well as the Jersey Royals (we couldn’t decide which we liked best as they were all superb). This reviewer is proud to be of Irish-American extraction, so I will eat and relish potatoes of any type, shape or form.

Sticky toffee pudding with warm clotted cream. Nobody does it better than Hawksmoor. Photo: Scott Harrah

For dessert, we both split an order of the Hawksmoor’s famous sticky toffee pudding with warm, sinful clotted cream. Just like at the Seven Dials location, the Hawksmoor Air Street’s sticky toffee pudding is among the best you will find in London, if not all of England. The dessert is not well known in America but it is a British staple, consisting of a rich sponge cake filled with chopped dates and sultanas, topped with either ice cream or warm clotted cream. The Hawksmoor’s version is served with the latter and it is decadently divine. It goes exquisitely with a cup of American coffee or espresso.

Now that we’ve enjoyed two different Hawksmoor locations in London, we’re convinced nobody does steak and upmarket British comfort food quite like the Hawksmoor. They truly have some of the best steak and service of anywhere in the U.K. If you visit London this summer or autumn, be sure to try one of the Hawksmoor restaurants. Hawksmoor is great for both pre-theatre dinner or a long, leisurely meal out in the British capital.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published July 4, 2017
Reviewed on June 23, 2017 in London

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: Grass-fed, bone-in prime rib. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: Cocktails. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: Great fish dishes. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: Stained glassed windows in a gorgeous Art Deco setting in the Piccadilly/Mayfair area of London. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: Bar with great pre-theatre cocktails. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: Cozy yet upmarket atmosphere. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

FABULOUS STEAK & SEAFOOD: Some offerings at Hawksmoor Air Street. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: Conveniently located near all the theatres in Piccadilly Circus/Mayfair. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: The interior. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET: Interior with stained glass windows. Photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Air Street

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