The night I found myself in a Hawk’s Nest 🦅…

I found myself in a Hawk’s Nest recently. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d write. I was eating pizza, drinking cocktails and watching live comedy. This wasn’t a surreal dream either, this actually happened in West London.

The Hawk’s Nest is the first venue from Bird House London, the joining of powerhouses from the London hospitality scene. Bird House London is run by Wil Fuller of Soho House Group and Frazer Timmerman, who oversaw the food and drinks offering for Incipio Group, the company behind cult street food dining favourite, Pergola. Both have taken inspiration from their previous ventures and brought the best of both to create the ultimate hang out.

The result is a new hidden gem just off Shepherd’s Bush Market. The team have transformed an old railway arch and goods yard into a very cool outdoor space (socially distanced, of course) that can seat 120. The area has been lacking an outdoor social space, so The Hawk’s Nest finally fills that gap perfectly.

Guests  venture through a bespoke bird’s nest installation in order to access the hidden garden – full of artwork and beautiful seasonal flowers. The lighting is spot on too, helping to bring the colours and ambiance to life in the evenings.

I visited recently for The Hawk’s Nest’s first comedy night, which showcased half a dozen emerging stand-ups. It was fun to forget the new world we’re living in for one night and to experience live entertainment again. As well as live comedy every two weeks, there promises to be live music, quizzes and an autumn of rugby screened here too. Booking a spot is essential.

As well as top entertainment and events, The Hawk’s Nest has a food menu that focuses on Italian street food, with arancini and calamari definitely worth sinking your teeth into. The highlight though is the pizza. A Gozney pizza oven takes centre stage in a converted shipping container, serving a menu of stonebaked sourdough pizzas. A couple of options on the menu are the Aubergine & Kale pizza with sundried tomato pesto for veggies or a delicious Parma Ham & Asparagus pizza. Personally I can recommend the Napoli Salami, it’s a classic combination of salami, parmesan shavings and rocket. Definitely want to try some of those other pizzas though, so I will be going back!

The Hawk’s Nest is also home to a fully-stocked cocktail bar, which serves fresh fruit margaritas including their Blood Orange Margarita, which is a really good sharpener to start the night with. Alongside an enviable cocktail menu there’s also a seasonal wine list full of pale, dry rosés and crisp fresh whites, as well as London’s best craft beers from Camden Town Brewery.

There will be a weekly programme of live music with jazz nights and DJs spinning tunes into the night. The Hawk’s Nest will also be rotating seasonal artwork throughout the year with the first exhibition by Annie Rose Fiddian-Green, which includes a series of framed figure drawings hanging inside and a large multi-coloured, painted mural that she designed with the intention to uplift and inspire guests, creating a feeling of unity.

For more information visit the-hawks-nest.co.uk