Hawksmoor, a British Steakhouse Chain, Plans a Fort Point Location

A spread of Hawksmoor food. / Courtesy photo

With charcoal-grilled steaks, super-cold martinis, hearty Sunday roasts, and water views, a London-based steakhouse chain is coming to Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood this fall. It’ll be the 15th location for Hawksmoor, which debuted in London’s East End 20 years ago and has since expanded around the United Kingdom, Ireland, and United States (New York and Chicago). Founded by childhood friends Will Beckett and Huw Gott, the restaurant is an ode to Britain’s remarkable cattle history.

Boston—and the waterfront, in particular—is full of steakhouses, both out-of-town chains and local indies. We’ve got steakhouse styles aplenty: classic American, Italian, Brazilian, Colombian (new in Brookline), and Spanish (opening next month in South Boston). But British? That’s new. A 2021 New York Times review of the Manhattan location provides optimism: “Does New York need a British steakhouse?” asked the Times. “Yes, if it’s Hawksmoor.” (Critic Pete Wells seemed particularly enamored with the quality of the steaks, tasting “irrefutably like beef,” perhaps thanks to the Hawksmoor team’s focus on sourcing from small, traditional cattle ranchers with ethical, sustainable practices.)

“The concept of a chophouse has existed in the UK since the 17th century,” says Beckett, “a restaurant that does simple things really well, often over a live fire. That’s kind of the pared-back version of what a [modern] British steakhouse is.” Twenty years ago, though, “there wasn’t really a British steakhouse in London,” says Beckett. “You could go to the traditional American-style steakhouses that, in my mind, were that archetype from the 1950s to 1970s, and there were Argentinian and Australian types of steakhouses too.” But Beckett (son of a food journalist) and Gott (son of cafe owners; grandson of a long line of butchers) thought that something was missing: a comfortable restaurant that celebrated Britain’s “really proud tradition of beef cattle” while meeting “the aesthetic of London at the time.”

Recalls Beckett: “We stripped back all the pretension.” The first Hawksmoor, named for an 18th-century architect, “was in a rundown part of East London, and you got a steak on a white plate—but it was the best steak we could possibly find. Local, ethical, and all that.” The team made a point of hiring “alternative-looking” people who were serious about a career in hospitality but, at the time, would be unlikely to be hired by most other venues in the fine-dining echelon of London restaurants. That’s not unique now, he says, but that come-as-you-are vibe remains a core piece of the Hawksmoor philosophy, in terms of staff as well as customers. In other words, don’t expect white tablecloths, and don’t feel bad swinging by in jeans.

In a sea of steakhouses, Beckett touts Hawksmoor’s craft, passion, and sourcing as “maybe unusual for steak restaurants, generally.” But moreso, “it’s that strand of London” that sets the restaurant apart from its peers on this side of the pond. “We’re from London; we really enjoy leaning into that,” says Beckett. The most obvious manifestation of this on the menu is the Sunday roast—a feast of beef, all the trimmings, Yorkshire pudding, and more—which has won a couple of awards. (“I’m hesitating to [mention the acclaim] because I’m English, and then I remember that I’m in America, and it’s ok to say something positive about yourself,” jokes Beckett.) “We’re probably almost as well-known for [the roast] in the UK as we are for steak. It’s that experience of family coming together and enjoying a predictable meal formula that everyone knows.”

Back to the actual steak, though: Dry-aged before hitting the charcoal, the meat comes in a variety of cuts. Hawksmoor touts its eight signatures, including the rump (beefy, a little chewier than a filet), the ribeye (juicy, flavorful), and the chateaubriand (tender, large, good for sharing). Diners will find information about the day’s cuts and sizes displayed on chalkboards. Sauces such as anchovy hollandaise and bone marrow gravy are available as accompaniments, as well as sides that feel akin to those at American steakhouses, from creamed spinach to mac and cheese.

The expansive Necco Street space will seat 200, featuring a large terrace for seasonal outdoor dining and a big bar area, the first thing you’ll see when you enter the restaurant. “We’re going to be a great neighborhood bar,” says Beckett. “We’re going to lean into the drinks being fun, accessible. You want people to come in and have a really good time, and it’s the kind of place you could go three or four times a week.” Beckett adds that Hawksmoor’s bar program is “really well-regarded” (see, he’s embracing that American self-promotion); in fact, the New York location picked up a James Beard Awards semifinalist nod in 2025 for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program.

A few things to watch for on the drink side: The martinis are “small and unbelievably cold,” says Beckett, so you can drink them before they warm up. Plus, they’re put through a jewelry cleaner (really!) “to homogenize the liquid and give a viscosity to it.” Sour cherry Negronis are among the other popular drinks, and then there’s Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew: “For the first 18 years, it outsold the whole rest of the cocktail list, and it’s brilliant,” says Beckett. “People honestly go nuts for it,” and it’s a reminder that bars should be fun. In America, he’s noticed, the restaurants themselves are fun, but many high-end cocktail bars have somehow managed to “take alcohol and make it not fun.” The goal here, he says, is to adhere to the standards of a high-end cocktail bar but add back the fun.

While “what most people enjoy most at Hawksmoor are the things we do across the board,” says Beckett, the team does explore some city-specific items on the food and drink menus. Nothing to share on the food side yet for Boston, says Beckett, although there’ll certainly be an emphasis on seafood and Boston history. As for drinks, Hawksmoor beverage director Liam Davy is on a mission to create “the most incredible” pistachio martini, says Beckett: On Davy’s most recent Boston trip, he came across the local classic in the North End and plans to figure out how to make it “and turn it to 11 out of 10,” promises Beckett.

Beyond the appeal of our pistachio martinis, Boston is a draw for Beckett and Gott because of the “natural affinity” between British people and Bostonians. “There’s a similarity in terms of sense of humor and a bit of caution around things that are from somewhere else,” says Beckett. “A bit of judgment. I like that mutual sensibility. And it’s a really nice-sized, manageable city, and the seafood is great. The restaurants are great.” Fort Point is a particularly good fit, he adds, as the neighborhood feels like London’s East End did when the first Hawksmoor opened. “There’s a soul to [Fort Point], a history to it,” says Beckett. “All of these incredible, beautiful, old industrial buildings. There’s an energy to the neighborhood that makes us feel at home.”

Hawksmoor is on track for a fall 2026 opening. “I’d like your readers to know that I successfully said ‘fall’ instead of ‘autumn,’” says Beckett. “I’m acclimatizing.” 15 Necco St., Fort Point, Boston, thehawksmoor.com/us.

Hawksmoor co-founders Will Beckett (left) and Huw Gott. / Courtesy photo