Cornerstone

An, ahem, cornerstone of Hackney Wick's Michelin-starred dining, chef Tom Brown's restaurant is a casual space that belies the serious gourmet flair of its dishes.

Having learned from famed English chefs Rick Stein and Nathan Outlaw, chef Tom Brown, a finalist of The Great British Menu, opened his debut solo venture in Hackney Wick in 2018. He brings the same reverence for produce and the restraint that established his mentors as leading authorities on seafood to his contemporary eatery, focusing the menu solely on seafood.

The menu changes, but past iterations have included dishes such as chalk-stream trout pastrami, squid cacio e pepe, sea bream tartare, hake Kyiv and more. The culinary prowess that quickly established Cornerstone as one of the hottest new spots in London is on full display, offering a fresh new look at seafood without going over the top. The menu changes regularly according to what's dragged out of the sea each day and is designed for sharing. You can order à la carte or let the chef make the decisions for you with the Chef Selection tasting menu, optionally accompanied with wine pairing.

The barebones industrial setting surrounding the central open kitchen at Cornerstone is similarly a study in moderation, providing a welcoming, warm space that doesn't distract from the courses. As all the artwork on display is for sale, you might even catch a new trophy to mount at home.