Food reviews

The Albemarle

London’s oldest five-star is reinventing itself. Since its takeover by Rocco Forte a few years back, Brown’s Hotel has undergone extensive refurbishments. Now, its good looks will be matched with good food and, with a top British chef in charge of menus, you can expect cooking that’s both fresh and rooted in tradition – just like the interiors.

Mark Hix may not be as familiar as Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver, though his past success on The Great British Menu and the recent launch of an eponymous restaurant (Hix Oyster & Chop House in Farringdon) may change all that. As the former chef/director of Caprice Holdings (that’s the company behind restaurants like The Ivy and J Sheekey) he couldn’t be a better fit for Browns.
Often verging on nursery food territory, Hix’s cooking is at once startlingly unpretentious and elegantly refined. Based on prime seasonal ingredients, it lets quality produce speak for itself in straightforward but perfectly executed recipes. The man himself doesn’t shake the pans here daily but his head chef, Lee Streeton, clearly masters the style beautifully.

Everything we ate, from the immaculately dressed crab starter, right through to perfectly ripe strawberries to finish, was a showcase in everything that’s great about British food. Perhaps most memorable were the gently grilled scallops, served in their own shell with a generous dousing of herb butter, but we also loved the warming Lancashire hotpot.

Service was spot on and you’d have to look hard to find a more attractive – or, indeed, more comfortable – dining room. The generously spaced tables lend themselves particularly well to business, while new modern art adds a playful touch for a more informal meals. If you haven’t been back to Browns in a while, now’s your time – it’s never been better.