Hawksmoor

Blare that bugle, Hawksmoor’s Manchester outpost has been open for ten glorious years. In that time, it became undoubtedly the city’s most well-regarded steakhouse, roaringly popular with all segments of Manchester society, such as date-night couples, post-work crews, families, and everyone in between. Well, maybe not vegans. 

To celebrate their triumphant decade in the biz, we took a trip over to try the new daytime menu. It’s on until July and showcases some of the most popular and storied dishes from over the years. 

One notable example is suet pudding, cooked in the traditional way and stuffed – and we do mean stuffed – with beef, with thick, rich gravy poured over the top. Not forgetting Hawksmoor’s truly brilliant beef dripping chips – slablike, golden brown and crunchy, the perfect partner for this upscale chippy-style meal. 

Little known fact: in and around Wigan, this pudding is actually called a ‘babs yed’, due to the similarity in shape and consistency to a newborn bonce. The wit and weirdness of our pie-eating neighbours knows no bounds.

The chicken, too, is a thing of beauty. All tangy lemon flavours and smoky, sizzling aromas, bashed flat and cooked in a metal rack. If you want a slightly lighter lunchtime option, this could be the one. 

But it’s all about the burger, The Big Matt. As you probably sleuthed by the name, it’s a take on the burger made famous by that freaky clown and his golden arches. And my, what a take. It’s everything the Big Mac wanted to be, and more. 

Thick slabs of beef, thrice as big as Ronald’s, smothered in that tell-tale tangy mayo-meets-relish sauce, then smothered again in gooey cheese, set between three layers of lightly toasted sesame-seed-dotted bun. It’s a masterpiece of a burger and a major favourite of the Hawksmoor clientele, but sadly, this is a short-term revival, geared around Hawksmoor’s tin anniversary. 

All we can advise is head down quicker than the McDonald’s™ legal team can issue a writ, and feast upon it before it disappears for good.

Need a dessert? Need more copyright infringement? The Ambassador’s Reception comes straight from a 1980s ad break and delivers the goods: gold-foil, hazelnut, chocolate, caramel and cocoa nibs. Can you guess what it is yet? It’s gaudy, glam and utterly delicious, and, best of all, Hawksmoor can’t use the name due to the threat of legal action.

This special menu will be around for another few months, so that’s enough time to devour a few Big Matts and F*rr*ro R*chers.