"If you’re a London foodie, the name Hawksmoor is likely to be familiar to you. Regarded by many as the best steak restaurant in London, there are now five branches in the capital and one in Manchester – a homage to the popularity of the brand. The concept has grown a long way since friends Huw Gott and Will Beckett opened the first Hawksmoor in Spitalfields in 2006 with the straight forward attitude of providing excellent produce cooked well.I’ve mentioned before that it’s not always easy to find a restaurant to please all my family members but I knew that Hawksmoor would fit the bill and having eaten before at their Air Street branch (pre-blog) I was keen to try the latest outpost in the one of London’s most fashionable areas; Knightsbridge. Hawksmoor Knightsbridge is located in a subterranean cavern on Yeoman’s Row just off Brompton Road. I recognised the venue as soon as we arrived, it used to be Frankie’s – a garishly glitzy New York-style dining room that was a collaboration between Marco Pierre White and jockey Frankie Detorri. But the mirror balls and tacky checked table clothes have all been cleared out to make way for clean lines, bright lighting, charcoal grey banquettes and a semi open kitchen. I had no doubt already that food was also much improved from the days that 3 Yeoman’s Row housed Frankie’s.When Mr S and I arrived Susan SilverSpoon and Dr SilverSpoon were already there, perusing the menu and looking hungry! I quickly gave my dad his birthday gift so we could order our food promptly.I chose a raw sea bass to starter, perfectly prepared and beautifully finished with chilli and ginger. I love raw ginger and plenty of it, though this isn’t one for you if you don’t like the slightly pungent taste of the spice. I also dived in (not literally) to Mr S’s steaming pot of mussels and was pleased to see big, fat sea food in a delicious light wine sauce, enhanced with bay leaves and chilli.It was a pretty, light beetroot and goats cheese salad for my mum."
