BFFL is back in town which means two things. We can finally hit the restaurants that require more than one person and she is the one pulling the reservations. I am mostly there for moral support and excessive ordering.
This time we made it to Hawksmoor for their Sunday Roast, something I had been wanting to try for a while. If you have never been to Hawksmoor, it sits inside the landmarked United Charities Building in Gramercy Park and it is one of the more stunning dining rooms in New York City. Twenty-six foot vaulted ceilings, a thirty-five seat bar, and the kind of room that makes you feel like you are somewhere that actually matters.
The Sunday Roast: $55 and Worth Every Penny
The Sunday Roast is a $55 prix fixe and honestly might be one of the better deals in New York City right now.
You get generous slices of roast beef cooked to your preferred temperature, Yorkshire pudding, roasted vegetables, gravy, and all the classic accompaniments. The portions are generous without being ridiculous and the whole thing moves at a pace that does not make you feel rushed.
Pro tip: always go pink. The beef is better that way. Do not overthink it. Just say pink when they ask.
The Bloody Mary Situation
I started with the Bloody Mary featuring bone marrow.
It sounded exactly right up my alley and it was a very good Bloody Mary. But I will be honest with you: I expected a little more bone marrow flavor. Maybe that is on me. When you put “bone marrow” on a menu my expectations immediately become unreasonable. The bar for bone marrow anything is set extremely high in my head and everything has to fight uphill from there.
Still a solid drink. Just manage your bone marrow expectations accordingly.
The Lemon Roast Chicken Situation
We added the lemon roast chicken for the table.
It was good. Unfortunately for it, we had just eaten the roast chicken at Giulietta a few days earlier and that bird was spectacular. The Hawksmoor chicken was solid but the other chicken was still living rent-free in my head the entire time I was eating it. Sometimes the timing of restaurant visits works against you. This was one of those times. Not Hawksmoor’s fault. Just bad sequencing on my part.
Dessert: The Real Story
This is where things got serious.
We ordered the Campfire Sundae and the Treacle Tart.
The Campfire Sundae was absolutely ridiculous in the best possible way. Warm and cold at the same time. Gooey, melty, crunchy, rich, and somehow still balanced. Every bite had something different going on. Between the toasted marshmallow flavors, the chocolate, the ice cream, and all the textures happening simultaneously, it was impossible not to keep digging in. This is the kind of dessert that makes you question why you do not order dessert more often.
The Treacle Tart was equally impressive. Rich, buttery, sticky, and comforting. Think of it as the British cousin of pecan pie. That same perfect balance of sweetness without tipping into overwhelming. The kind of thing that disappears from the plate before you have fully decided whether you liked it.
Neither dessert survived very long. This was not a surprise.
The Space and The Burger Complaint
The space remains one of my favorite things about Hawksmoor. It feels old-school and modern at the same time. The building has character, the dining room is gorgeous, and the hospitality is consistently excellent. There is a reason Hawksmoor sits comfortably on my Best Steakhouses in NYC list.
My one complaint remains unchanged: they still will not serve the burger outside the bar area.
I understand why. I still find it annoying every single time.
Still have not tried the famous Hawksmoor burger? Read why I called it an upgraded Big Mac with a British accent before your next visit.
Final Verdict
The Sunday Roast is absolutely worth the trip. Great food, great atmosphere, excellent service, and one of the better values you will find in Manhattan right now. For $55 I would order it again without hesitation.
Shannon, thank you for the reservation. Again.
As always, what do I know? I am just a fat guy from Brooklyn trying to survive the week, one martini at a time.
Looking for more NYC restaurant reviews? Check out my Best Steakhouses in NYC, Best Burgers in NYC, and Best Restaurants in NYC lists.