Delicious cocktails, serious meats, zingy seafood starters and a sumptuous dining room. Just a few of the things you can expect from The Kitty Hawk. I first visited this restaurant back in February earlier this year and I can’t believe the transformation. I loved it back then, with its focus on gargantuan sized steaks – but now it’s got a fresh new look, new menu and a range of experiences in which to enjoy The Kitty Hawk all over again.
We started with some lovely starters and a good cocktail to wash them down with. All very simple but all perfectly executed. First out was the creamy and sour burrata with juicy fennel and citrus segments which spilled out onto the plate. I really enjoyed the no frills simplicity of it because this plate of food was all about quality ingredients.
Simple, but again very good was the sea bass ceviche with lime, coriander and chilli. Lots of flavour, a good hit of spice, the fish was lovely and the acidity of the lime left your mouth salivating. My only reservation was the dish needed a little more lime juice to give it more succulence so that the fish breaks apart easier in the mouth.
Once you get into the main courses, it gets a little more exciting and the kitchen takes a few culinary risks – all of which pay off. North African style lamb was served in three delicious ways. A succulent chop, slow cooked belly and a crispy lamb croquette. The whole thing was then smothered in yoghurt and a good helping of za’atar. Some slow cooked charred onions and greens complimented the dish. A side of Charred cavolo nero was nice enough, but either it had liquid smoke added or the grill needs a good clean as I was still tasting heavy smoke on the evening of the following day.
The steaks here were excellent before the new menu & design – but now they’re even better. A 10oz rib-eye steak was cooked perfectly and exactly to my medium-rare specification. Here the smokiness seemed less intrusive and the flavour of the meat really came through. I loved the extra helping of charred onions on the top, the chips were oh-so crunchy and fluffy in the middle – while the béarnaise sauce was every bit good as I’d hoped for. The side of pot-roast cauliflower was nice enough, but not very exciting.
We popped up to the Back Room Wine Bar which was yet another gorgeous addition, finishing our dessert here and a few too many glasses of wine. Chocolate, hazelnuts and a pistachio sponge – the perfect ending to our evening.
I really loved returning to The Kitty Hawk and while I didn’t see anything wrong with it in its previous form – it now all makes much more sense. It’s fun, relaxed, rather boozy and each course offers so much flavour. It’s wine heaven here too for vino buffs so bring your friends and move from bar, to restaurant and finish in the back bar. You’ll have a great night.
You can never go wrong with a good steak
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so true!