Hawksmoor, one of London’s best-loved restaurants, announced the official launch of their brand-new Chicago outpost in a three-story landmark location at 500 N LaSalle Drive on Thursday, June 27 in River North.
First opened in 2006 by childhood friends Will Beckett and Huw Gott in London, Hawksmoor has made a name for itself as a world-class dining destination through their rigorous standards for both ingredients and employment ethics, with recognition as one of few restaurants worldwide with a B Corp Certification, a three-star rating by the Green Restaurant Association, over a decade of recognition as a Best Company to Work For, and more. Their menu centers around steaks from ethically reared cattle and sustainably sourced seafood alongside one of the country’s most progressive cocktail programs. In September 2021, Hawksmoor opened its first U.S. location in New York in the Flatiron District.
“Hawksmoor’s menu has always been about honoring great produce and people. In the U.S., as we’ve done in the UK and Ireland, our team has spent many years traveling the country to meet incredibly passionate suppliers who can provide our guests the best in consciously raised ingredients – which, along with being the ethical choice, we know is also the most delicious. We’re incredibly excited to officially open doors and bring our celebration of American beef and produce to Chicago.” – said Will Beckett, Hawksmoor Co-Founder in a statement.
Since launching, Hawksmoor has made purpose-driven hospitality an integral pillar of their organization, and has donated over $2.5 million to community and international charities. For their Chicago opening, Hawksmoor has partnered locally with Pilot Light, a food education nonprofit investing in teacher leadership to create lasting change on young people in the community and the food system. Hawksmoor will make an initial $10,000 donation during their launch, with continued work planned for fundraising and volunteering opportunities.
In the land of steakhouses in Chicago, Hawksmoor presents all-natural, pasture-reared beef carefully sourced from family-run farms, dry-aged and expertly grilled over small-batch charcoal from the hills of West Virginia. Known for offering a wide range of classic steakhouse cuts (and even a rump steak) Hawksmoor also presents the opportunity to sample more exclusive cuts such as the Chateaubriand or Grass-Fed Rib Chop by the ounce, with rotating daily availability displayed on the chalkboard overlooking the dining room. Look for a local nod to H.M. Kinsley, the 19th-century Chicago restaurateur, with Hawksmoor’s signature “Beefsteak 1894” – an optional add-on preparation of three charcoal-roasted Bone Marrow Oysters and Bone Marrow Gravy to top or accompany any cut, inspired by a recipe in Kinsley’s 1894 cookbook that tops a single steak with two dozen roasted oysters.
The menu at Hawksmoor Chicago will feature over a dozen new dishes, including their first Shrimp Cocktail, served with Chili Crunch Cocktail Sauce, and Lobster Louis, their take on a seafood salad first served in Colorado Springs in 1918 that has similarities to a British-style prawn cocktail. These join classic Hawksmoor starters such as Charcoal-Roasted Scallops with white port and garlic; Ash-Baked Beets with pickled fennel, horseradish, hazelnuts; and Potted Beef & Bacon with Yorkshire Puddings served with pour over onion gravy – a waste-friendly dish created by their London team using trimmings of prime beef, which quickly became a staff favorite and ended up as a permanent fixture on the menu.
New main courses include Charcoal-Grilled Wild Halibut with Café de Paris butter and Charcoal Chicken Ana Mari, grilled using a technique inspired by the Ana Mari restaurant located in the hills outside Bilbao, Spain. Takes on British classics can be found throughout the menu, like the vegetarian Bent River Wellington, made with shiitake & oyster mushrooms, and the Cast-Iron Filet with Bone Marrow Skirlie, a remarkably indulgent version of the Scottish tradition of topping steak with onions and oatmeal fried in beef fat. All main dishes can be flanked by an array of sides, including newcomers Mushrooms Diane, Roasted Peppers & Italian Sausage and the Salt-Baked Potato with Guinness Rarebit, a golden-brown cheese topping. Desserts will include an Atomic Sundae inspired by Chicago’s Atomic Cake, as well as a show stopping chocolate and hazelnut Grand Rocher and the exceedingly British Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Hawksmoor’s entire menu will focus on sourcing the best ingredients available including ethically-raised meat, sustainable seafood, local seasonal produce, and Midwestern dairy and cheeses from family farmers in the Great Lakes region, including Lamers Dairy in Appleton, WI; La Pryor Farms in Ottawa, IL; and Fischer Farms in St. Anthony, IN.
The beverage program at Hawksmoor Chicago is simultaneously a love letter to the new Chicago location and an homage to their recent Dublin opening in 2023, with a heavy focus on Irish whiskey, local craft beer, and cocktails inspired by the great steakhouses of Chicago. The cocktail menu will feature both signature drinks that have been part of the Hawksmoor cocktail canon for over a decade such as Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew made with Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey, freshly juiced ginger and lemon juice, as well as their ‘Ultimate’ expressions of steakhouse classics, including the legendary ULTIMATE MARTINI, which undergoes a process of ultrasonic homogenization (to make it silky smooth) and is served beyond ice cold at 10°F from an insulated flask on the bar. Brand new cocktails include the Jumpman, named after the building’s previous tenant, Michael Jordan, made with Siete Misterios Mezcal, Strawberry Soju, Aperol, and lime juice; the Chicago Fizz, a 19th century classic reimagined with a bright white rum, cordial made from raspberries and Pinot Noir, and egg white that’s shaken vigorously before being topped with soda and raspberry powder; the Point du Sable, an Old Fashioned-style cocktail inspired by the PB&J featuring local Koval bourbon infused with organic peanut butter, bananas, and complex 10-year-old Madeira wine for a slightly savory edge; and the Malört Martinez, which features Chicago’s favorite ‘’challenging” spirit, using its bitterness to their advantage in the icy cold Negroni-Martini mash-up.
Their Irish whiskey focus leans on the strong Celtic influence on the bar culture of Chicago, which also inspired their pre-launch collaboration with beloved neighborhood spot Best Intentions, Bar 1661 from Dublin and the NYC Irish bar The Dead Rabbit. The Chicago menu features heavy-hitters from beloved distilleries and little-known gems from small producers, including Pot Still favorites from Midleton and Teeling, Single Malts from Bushmills and Waterford alongside newer producers such as Killowen, Silkie, Glendalough and Drumshanbo. Local beer and cider will play a prominent role, with seasonal and signature brews from Right Bee Cider, Solemn Oath, Revolution, Hop Butcher, Dovetail, and more. The wine list will focus on wines from the United States with a strong showing from Europe alongside interesting picks from around the world. A particular highlight of the list will be an exclusive Portuguese red wine bottled just for Hawksmoor in collaboration with Quinta de la Rosa and Head of Wine, Clara Rubin. For wine lovers, the wildly popular BYO Monday will make its debut with $10 corkage per bottle, where the menu encourages diners to “bring a Nebuchadnezzar of Nebbiolo and a Balthazar of Bastardo for maximum value.”
Hawksmoor Chicago has come to life within the LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse, a 16,500 square foot three-story official Chicago landmark at 500 N LaSalle Drive, which was first opened in 1887 and in its heyday pulled thousands of cable cars that brought approximately 100,000 workers downtown each day. Designed collaboratively between Hawksmoor’s Design Team, headed by Mai-Yee Ng, and UK Interior Architecture firm Macaulay Sinclair, the design sought to bring new life to the venue, restoring original barrel-vaulted ceilings, exposed timber joists, and brickwork, while introducing new elements inspired by the ‘Golden Age of Travel’. The 125-seat first-floor dining room includes a mirrored wraparound bar, velvet booths in complementary blue and green hues, and Hawksmoor’s signature parquet block flooring. Holophane glass pendant lights reclaimed from the historic Nairn Mill in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, bring light throughout the space, and tiles inspired by London’s Underground station offer a nod to the original owner of the building, Charles Tyson Yerkes, who played a major role in developing mass-transit systems in London and Chicago. The second floor, a 76-cover dining room, features a second dazzling bar, restored Parisian holophane glass street lamps hanging from exposed timber joists and large plush booths in deep marine blue. The second floor also boasts two private dining rooms, the 16-person Lady Bird 3rd and 22-person Big Mike, named to honor some of the award-winning cattle of America on their way to be judged at grand cattle shows. Big Mike is also a nod to the city’s other Champion Bull of a similar name, and a photo of the original mosaic entrance way welcoming guests to Michael Jordan’s restaurant hangs by the aptly named PDR. The third floor, set to open in the fall, will offer a customizable events space with a wide range of dining possibilities that can be rented for events and parties.
