Hixter Bankside

3 Reviews on “Hixter Bankside”

• Mike Dalley

  Hixter at Bankside is the London Bridge/Southwark outpost of Mark Hixs very British restaurant (mini) empire, it had big shoes to fill (Hixs Tramshed remains one of my favourite restaurants ever). It can be found somewhere between London Bridge and Southwark Underground stations (Jubilee Line), on Great Guildford Street, just to the left off Southwark Street (if youre walking from London Bridge). Look for the neon.On this nippy Saturday afternoon in February, Hixter was half-full, pulling in a typical audience of young people in fancy hats, old couples and of course us, somewhere in between these two demographics. We were seated on a booth at the side of the restaurant (an old metal box factory) and took in our surroundings, the usual Hix mix of British art, functionality and random aesthetic touches to appease the trendy and moon-eyed. One wall of the cavernous, ex-factory is devoted to 3D mural Dorset Knob by Gary Webb (never heard of him); other artists on show include Luke Embden (never heard of him) and Charming Baker (hey, great name! never heard of you!), the latter of which has on display Faiths Leap, a collection of creepy mannequin-like sculptures with chromed airplane noses for faces, which surround the dining room, gazing down on you, wherever you might be sitting. The show kitchen drags things back into restaurant-y normality; it is framed with Himalayan salt bricks, the same used to age their Glenarm beef.We quit our gawking and set about ordering from the brunch menu a filthy mix of food and drink that would make the hardest-stomached individual feel the pangs heartburn (I almost felt the stare of Faiths Leap intensify). I think this is why I unconditionally love brunch its a placeless, hobo-esque excuse for a meal, where, much like the American frontier, normal laws do not apply. We sank strong cocktails; a Hix Fix (Morello cherry liqueur and English sparkling wine) was fruity, smooth and Moorish, Marks Mr. Nice was crafted with Talisker, sherry and bitters, and was as strong as an ox, just as subtle. Good to try, but I moved on to the Sacred Full English Negorni, where Sacred Gin, rosehip syrup and English Vermouth collide to make a nuclear-strength drink ,just the right side of bitter and the wrong side of addictive. Cocktails are obviously expensive here, but you can add twenty-five to your bill for bottomless Bloody Marys or prosecco instead.All things considered, we felt that chilli burrata and a massive plate of pancakes with sugared bacon and honey were appropriate to start. The burrata, from Wiltshire, was the best I have ever had; perfectly milky, served at the perfect temperature and spiced with chilli just enough to carry it along. For the mains, you could go anywhere from a Hixter Breakfast (basically a Full English), to miso-baked cod, or duck egg in Tunisian pastry, to a shrimp burger. We settled on sharing a Hix staple Swainson House chicken, served arse-end-up, with chips, sauces, some tangy, refreshing slaw and salt-and-vinegar onion rings, which were so lovely it will certainly mean that I will never take my onion rigs without salt or vinegar ever, ever again.The strong booze, big portions and long, gossipy brunch meant that we were probably done after the mains, but we inevitably ordered some pudding; another Hix favourite salted caramel fondue with morsels of doughnut and probably the best marshmallow ever made by man. It finished off my friend; I struggled through. On the way back, my grumbling stomach was making a louder din than the screeching Jubilee Line.It was a very Hix-y, very British brunch, in every way. The food was wonderful, comforting and geared to make any self-respecting Brit proud of what can be grown on our little cold rock. The service was as patchy as any modish, popular place perfect in parts and almost non-existent in others. We observed that the moment the chicken was delivered all manner of being appropriately looked-after completely vanished, leading us to commence a search of the restaurant to find anyone willing to take a dessert order, or give us the bill. Until then, we had found the waiters to be friendly, jokey and attentive.I left Hixter feeling the opposite if this a foul, sluggish, messy doughball, slipping into a food coma, with the additional pleasure of a running nose from the polar-like temperatures as snow began to fall once more. A bit lighter in the pocket too our meal for two with a couple of rounds of cocktails came to just over one hundred and twenty, but to be honest if you stayed away from the cocktail menu you could probably spend less than half that amount. Well recommended. mikejamesdalley.wixsite.com

  July 22, 2020, 9:44 pm

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• Roy Mootoosamy

  Strong on meat with lots of nice looking cocktails and wine offer, I’d say this was a good option for meeting mates for long boozy meals. Also kids eat free on Sundays so worth a look for parents too

  November 28, 2016, 8:06 pm

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• Fresh And Fearless

  Dining at Hixter Bankside is more than just fine dining, it is an experience in itself. Along with the unique decoration, the amazing and attentive staff, comes a new dining experience. Food with unique names, cocktails that are perfect for the people that drink them and all round deliciousness – love it! For a social media avid like me, ordering the Twitter and Bisted cocktail was right up my street (which included prosecco, what a brilliant match!). The food was unique too, salt and vinegar onion rings, chicken and ox cheek croquets and spicy deep fried chicken wings. Yum!!! The steak was super tender and melted in my mouth which was perfect, couldn’t fault it. Overall, dining at Hixter Bankside was a joyful experience and I will be returning! freshandfearless.co.uk

  May 4, 2015, 2:05 am

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