We were treated to a ‘hard hat’ tour of work underway in the old National Bank building on College Green which is being transformed into the first outpost for steakhouse and cocktail chain Hawksmoor which will open its doors on Thursday May 25.
The ornately detailed Italianate building was previously home to Abercrombie & Fitch (remember them!) and dates back to 1835.
It is set to become a truly grand dining room in city which actually doesn’t have that many (we’re remembering the days of La Stampa).
Boasting a 40-foot hemispherical cast-iron dome set on Corinthian columns within the banking hall and parquet floors throughout, the space will be separated into two with its cocktail bar out front before the reveal of the dining space.
Co-founder Will Beckett, Head of Design, Mai-yee Ng and general manager Alex McGettigan were on hand to walk and talk us through their exciting ambitions for the space.
Taking inspiration from Joyce and Beckett in the design of their menus but perhaps, more interestingly, an aerial view of the city by John Smyth which was published in the London Illustrated News in 1846.
Words: Michael McDermott
