Hawksmoor Steakhouse NYC opened in September 2021 and is part of a chain founded in East London in 2006. The restaurant is located at 109 East 22nd (22nd & Park) in the Gramercy Park. For readers not familiar with the layout of NYC, it is in the Midtown area and 20 blocks South of Grand Central down Park Ave.
The bar is on the left when you walk in the door and dining room is just behind it. The dining room has impressive antique and high ceilings. When I walked in, I assumed it used to be a bank due to grand space. I was told it was a meeting place for Noble Prize winners hosted by JP Morgan back in the 1890’s. So I was kind of right, it was a bank.
On Hawksmoor’s website it states: “Our menu revolves around all-natural beef from family-run farms, many based in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, and New England, simply seasoned with flaked sea salt and seared over live-fire charcoal.”
I would say this is an accurate description from what I experienced. The bar is set up well, has a nice vibe, and the bartender was very professional. We started night with Michters Old Fashions. The drinks were well made and poured in oversized rock glasses with a oversized clear single ice cube and lemon twist. A well-mixed and served cocktail, but as expected, $18+ drink. I prefer drinks at that price to come with a NYC skyline view but no one gives a shit what I think.
We sat in a curve booth in the back right side of the dining room and share a couple of steaks (T-bone & Strip), along with some sides and wine. The menu is not very large when it comes to the choices of food or wine. This is nice to keep the selections simple and high quality but lends to higher prices. I recommend you check the menu ahead of you visit if cost is a concern. Reservations are strongly recommended and there is no stated dress code, but you should dress up a little bit to dine a Hawksmoor.
I have only one complaint, the noise level.
The high arched ceilings are hard plaster, the walls are hard wood, and the floor and table are solid wood. The chairs are wood with some soft cushioning on the back of the chairs. The interior designer did NOT do a good job with noise control. The space needs some soft panels on the walls or fabric art. Any column or odd low wall needs soft panels or cushioning to absorb noise. As the dinning room filled up the noise raised to a level where it became difficult to hear people at my table who were 2 feet from me. If someone from Hawksmoor reads this, do not rely on the interior decorator, get an acoustical engineer to look at this as well.
Overall, I was very impressed. I enjoyed the drinks, wine, food, and desert. I highly recommend Hawksmoor to anyone looking for a steakhouse styled dinner in NYC.
If you like it, drink it (or eat it)! – Christopher