Hawksmoor Spitalfields Bar, A Special Place

When you go out not intending to eat, let alone drink double shots of mezcal, but leave somewhere feeling full, smiling, you know the place you've been was special. And, so it was, last Thursday I was going for two beers, then home to enjoy the treats my lovely neighbours had given me to celebrate the end of Ramadan. So, two turned into three, it always does. Then of course we had to finish the round. The Italian suggested a cocktail at Hawksmoor's bar, underneath their Spitalfields restaurant. Okay, just one more then...

Who was I kidding? Walk into a Hawksmoor and not eat? That was never ever going to happen. One step into the achingly cool bar (the de rigeur metro tiles have even been aged!), I knew my Ramadan feast was going to have to wait for another night.

So let's get one thing straight, there are no steaks - if that's what you're after, go upstairs. But there are ox cheek nuggets (I was sold!), burgers, pulled pork rolls, chili dogs, wings and ribs - need I say more.

We opted for a burger, pulled pork roll, ox cheek nuggets and pig's head poutine. And a cucumber and watermelon salad also turned up - we weren't complaining, respite for the arteries.

As you would expect, the burger is good. Very good. Rich, juicy beef, perfectly cooked medium-rare, topped with cheese in a beautifully soft brioche bun. Best of all, it is only £8.50. That is the same price as GBK. One can only imagine GBK's margins are significantly larger. Seriously, £8.50? It is an absolute steal! The Italian had the pulled pork which went down a treat.

The sides are where things started to get really exciting. I had no idea what poutine was when I ordered it, I was lured in by the pig's head. Turns out it is a perfect dish for two Scots to devour following a night on the beers. Originating in Canada, it is made up of chips, cheese (yes, okay, not the holy trinity of mozzarella and two types of cheddar you get at BBQ Kings in Glasgow, but good nonetheless) and gravy. Not content with that, Hawksmoor have added pig's head. Filthy, yes. Healthy, no. Worth it once in a while, absolutely.

We also had the ox cheek nuggets - slow-cooked cheek, encased with some mozzarella in breadcrumbs, with some kimchi dipping sauce. I could have eaten these all night long.

And, to freshen things up, a salad of large chunks of cucumber and watermelon, with a touch of ginger, chili, garlic and, I think, some fish sauce - this was a refreshing counterbalance to the rest of the meal. Excellent in its simplicity.

So the bar is cool and the food is great, but it is the drinks, or, more specifically, the barmen, who really make this place really stand out. Excellent cocktails (butter infused bourbon old fashioned anyone?) served up by a tag team from Turkey (Mr Pinky, you know who you are!) and Wales - we were kept in stitches for most of the night. If you like fun, go. If you don't, well, that's your loss, this place isn't for you.

Fox and Anchor: a burger for the noughties

What is about London and burgers.  They are everywhere.  From pop up to Oxford Street (Meat Liquor) and from established restaurant group to pop up (Soho House's new venture, Dirty Burger), everyone is at it.  And us bloggers dutifully search for that perfect burger.  Is it going to be 40% shin, or 65% chuck?  20 or 25% fat?  Its all in the details.

So when a mate said he had discovered a new great, I was all over it.  The location makes sense. The Fox and Anchor is on the edge of Smithfields, the largest meat market in UK.  Quality meat should not be a problem.

And so we headed along for an early meat fix on a Friday evening.  The place was surprisingly quiet given its location and the quality of beers on offer - Sierra Nevada on tap.  We stuck to Red Diesel (in a quiet nod to nights of Diesel-fuelled fun at Glasgow University Union) - a great beer from Colchester Brewery, served in metal tankards.  Retro awesome.

On to the burger.  We were asked how we wanted it cooked - rare for the both of us.  The bun kept its structure well but the burger was overcooked and a little on the dry side.  The sad thing was if it was 2005 I would have been pretty happy.  But things have moved on so much since then.  Burger making has become an art.  Basics -it should be juicy, meaty, and, most important of all, you should be able to get a mouthful of everything in one go.  This was not possible.  No chance.  It was just too thick.  A burger for the noughties when over-sized meant good.  In mitigation G-Star did say it had been a lot better on previous visits but at fifteen quid a pop you need consistency.  That is almost double the price of an Honest Burger and about the same those legends of the meat game Hawksmoor and Goodmans.

While the burger was disappointing, the chips were splendid.  Triple-cooked, crisp, fluffy - everything a chip should be. They came with a burger sauce - we asked for the ingredients but were told it was a chef's secret.  My guess mayo, Dijon mustard and some Worcestershire sauce - either way it was pretty darn good addition to dunk your chips in.

In the search for the perfect burger, there will always be disappointments.  But normally they set you back less than a tenner.  If the Fox and Anchor wants to be known as the place for a burger in the home of meat in the UK, it had better up its game.  Its a tough market out there for the burgermeister.