- Restaurant review: Tom Brown at The Capital, London - 1 July, 2026
- Review: The Good Front Room – Dalston, London - 17 March, 2026
- A year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting – David Hockney at Serpentine, London - 11 March, 2026
Vada headed to Tom Brown at The Capital, for a relaxing dinner away from the busy shopping areas of London’s Knightsbridge. Here’s our review.
Tom Brown at The Capital
Tom Brown at The Capital launched in 2025 and is a fine dining restaurant with a menu focussed on responsibly sourced and use of British fish, meat and vegetables by head chef Tom Brown originally from Cornwall. Tom has retuned to The Capital Hotel, having previously worked there retaining the previous restaurant’s – Outlaw – Michelin Star.
Set within The Capital Hotel, the restaurant Tom Brown at The Capital offers a 28-cover space with a refined environment, with immaculate crisp table clothes, plush deep green velvet seating, and mixes tactile fabrics on the wall that made the child in us want to reach out to touch it. The Richard Bagguley mural ceiling also attracts attention evoking an atmospheric star gazing night.
The menu
Tom Brown holds a Michelin star for his bold, flavour-led seafood cooking and innovative approach to sustainable produce, and this is exactly what you find on the menu at Tom Brown at The Capital.
As an amuse bouche, we received a small, flavourful and rich broth alongside freshly baked breads with different butters and oil. The presentation started high, peaking our curiosity.
For starters, we opted for the Quail served with cuttlefish, blood orange, and radicchio (£29) and the Wye Valley asparagus with Jersey Royals, and vichyssoise (£19). Both impeccably presented, balanced in their own colour and flavour palettes. Our only critique was of the earthy orange hued (quail) starter, where both breasts would have been preferred (rather than one with sausage slices) – we got the quality expected, we just wanted the quantity too.
Intrigue continued to the main course, where we both opted for the Cornish Cod served with sand carrot (a variety that is particularly straight, tender and sweet due to its growing conditions), taramasalata, and pistachio (£36), which was doused with a sauce by our waiter à la table. Visually, this lead us to look upon this as more of a cod curry, but it was nothing of the sort. The cod was cooked to perfection, and even writing this up several days after eating the meal, our mouths are still watering for more.
After a brief palette cleanser comprised of a base of oyster panna cotta topped with melon and sake chilled shavings, we moved on to dessert. The best way to describe the Sticky toffee madeleines with malted ale caramel, clotted cream ice cream (£17) for the uninitiated is that this is part of the sticky toffee pudding universe at one of its highest forms of expression. Blame Tom, not us, if you end up ordering a second portion and need to loosen your belt. Our only quibble was that the clotted cream ice cream could have been much more chilled, with the contrasting temperatures heightening the experience even more.
After dinner, we were offered sweets from the chef, for which Tom has paired a delectable fudge and a jelly morsel.
Whilst Tom Brown at the Capital has a partnership with Wild Idol, the alcohol-free sparkling wine brand, we opted for an alcohol-full champagne. Both options are an appropriate way to start a meal at this restaurant.
The service
When it comes to service at Tom Brown at The Capital, there is only one word: impeccable. From the moment the hotel doorman greeted us and took our coats, from all staff we received formal casual conversation that flowed well. We were always made to feel we were in a fine dining restaurant but maintaining a slightly local comfort.
Overall thoughts
For a 3-course meal at Tom Brown at The Capital, expect to pay around £100 plus drinks and service. This reflects the commitment to excellence in both the food and service. But why venture Tom Brown at The Capital specifically? Positioned between Harvey Nichols and Harrods, there is always a need to desensitise after the intense shopping experience of Knightsbridge. The Tom Brown at The Capital restaurant offers space and a quietness we haven’t found elsewhere in such close proximity to these Knightsbridge department stores, where even the most flustered and frenetic of us – speaking from our first hand experience – will be hard pressed to not restore calm.
Tom Brown at The Capital is located at 22-24 Basil Street, London, SW3 1AT
For more information and to book (recommended), visit tombrownatthecapital.com/restaurant
