Hawksmoor Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Lothians
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The bullish and beefy Hawksmoor steakhouse group picked a peach of a site when they were looking for an Edinburgh outpost – namely, the old National Bank of Scotland, once the tallest building overlooking St Andrew Square. Its current incarnation pays due reference to the past with limestone surfaces, a lofty coffered ceiling, imperious columns, parquet floors, etched windows and reclaimed materials, although nothing can detract from the venue's gastronomic USP. Visitors come here in their droves for joyously flavoursome cuts of dry-aged native beef sourced from both sides of the border, priced per 100g, chargrilled to order, and served with the now-familiar Hawksmoor sauces and sides – although the bone-marrow skirlie is unique to this branch. Regional ingredients crop up regularly on the menu, from Eyemouth crab on toast or grilled native lobsters with garlic butter to occasional supplies of heather-nourished Hebridean lamb. The sourdough bread is from Edinburgh, and so is the butter, while the famed Ambassador chocolate bar and a wicked sticky toffee sundae top the list of indulgent desserts. A daytime ‘express’ menu pulls in punters on tighter budgets, likewise trencherman Sunday roasts and a BYO Monday offer (£5 corkage). Otherwise, the drinks list is everything you would expect from Hawksmoor: craft beers and nifty cocktails plus big-ticket red wines bold enough to match all that fleshy sanguineous protein.
