Native at Browns
Mayfair, London
Sustainably minded Native has moved from SE1 to the soigné surrounds of Mayfair as the in-house restaurant at Browns, the boundary-pushing boutique that famously put Alexander McQueen’s graduate collection in the window. Staff are a friendly bunch and our waiter points out a designer handbag patterned into the mosaic floor alongside a grey squirrel representing Native’s most headline-grabbing dish of old. Squirrel isn’t on at inspection but newer signatures are, including a ‘fillet of fish' sandwich (a riff on a fast-food favourite) that’s gone in a couple of tasty mouthfuls, and a wood pigeon kebab with harissa. Dishes come as and when for sharing. It’s fashionable but not frivolous: regenerative beef, ikejime trout, heritage grains and ‘yesterday’s bread’ demonstrate a clear commitment to sustainable sourcing. Ivan Tisdall-Downes’ food is strikingly, rustically presented (on logs, on straw etc) with hidden depths of flavour in the seaweed salsa verde that seasons fermented tomato panzanella or the high-quality chocolate in a burnt meringue dessert. With the hits come some misses such as a gloopy brown crab and heritage-grain risotto (a heated plate might have helped) and a grainy cauliflower burnt cheesecake. However, it’s a charming place inside and out (the tree-lined courtyard packs out on hot days), prices are reasonable for the postcode, and it's hard not to be swept along by the staff's evident enthusiasm for the project. Wines from Sussex to Georgia start at £38, with most bottles under £60 – almost unheard of in Mayfair.
Dining Information:
Counter seating, Wheelchair access, Dog friendly, Credit card required
39 Brook Street, Mayfair W1K 4JE
020 7549 5999
