Andy Mossack reviews Tom Brown at The Capital, breathing new life into a vintage Knightsbridge icon.
Knightsbridge has always had two sides. There’s the posing brash fashionista brands lining Brompton Road and Sloane Street each grappling to snag the throngs exiting Harrods. Then there’s the discreet establishments tucked away in the leafy back streets who cater for a more discerning custom.
The Capital Hotel is very much in the second camp; set inside three Victorian mansion properties in Basil Street as a boutique townhouse with apartments. A Knightsbridge icon since 1974 when its restaurant under chef Richard Shepherd was one of the first three hotel restaurants in London to attain a Michelin star. It gained a second star when Éric Chavot took over the burners.
Fast forward a few years with numerous chefs and a lack of stars to 2013, when Tom Brown first emerges as head chef at fish and seafood-centric Outlaw’s at the Capital. And yet another Michelin star is garnered for a few years.
Iconic as the Capital may be, the restaurant has seen its fair share of ups and downs. But now, with Tom returning like the prodigal son, perhaps this is the opportunity both of them need to re-establish themselves at London’s top table once again.
In keeping with the Capital’s understated elegance, the new Tom Bown at the Capital looks more like a homely parlour in a monied pied-à-terre than a posh London restaurant. With just 24 covers it oozes an art deco intimacy that seems tailor-made for a discerning Knightsbridge clientele.
I was also fully expecting to see nothing but Brown’s trademark fish and seafood on the menu, but there’s also a dash of meat and vegetarian options, perhaps to widen the appeal potential. Always a smart move.
Diners can choose a six-course tasting menu (£95) but we decided to avoid overeating and plumped for the freedom of à la carte.
First up for my dining partner was lobster toast with nori and chilli oil (£12). A delicate wedge of sumptuously soft toasted brioche supporting a small pile of delicious tail and claw lobster meat. My starter was completely different but equally impressive. A mix of girolle and chanterelle mushrooms (£18) topped with salsify and oyster leaf – a vegetable and a plant both giving off hints of oyster which paired perfectly with my earthy mushrooms. A genius combo it has to be said.
A bread course unexpectedly arrived next. Walnut and soda bread and, a Japanese inspired milk bread not unlike the aforementioned brioche. Both of these magnificent breads were accompanied by two very different dips; a surprising but very tasty mix of shellfish oil and white balsamic vinegar, while the other was clarified butter, although a few light years away from the ghee used in your local curry house. I’m pleased to report very short shrift was made of both.
Two courses in and things were progressing very nicely thank you very much.
Our mains were brought in a triumphant procession to the table. Hereford beef (£58) for me and Monkfish (£48) for my partner. The beef came with some hearty stout gravy, a side of stewed tongue and horseradish dip and a tasty blob of creamed swede.
The monkfish was perfectly cooked and doused in a delicious lobster sauce, together with some very flavoursome pumpkin and black cabbage.
My only regret is both of these dishes were tepid and should have been hotter.
Into the home stretch now, and two very different desserts. A 70% chocolate tart supplied by Xoco, a chocolate producer that claims to have cultivated the world’s first single variety cacao. To be honest, it had me at 70% anyway, and came with an almond base and slices of green mandarin and kumquat (£16). Utterly moreish.
My partner had a slightly more indulgent creamy Cashel blue cheese dish (£24), handmade by a family-run Tipperary cheesemaker, with burnt poached pear atop a wedge of pauper cake, a rather ironic choice of cake for an expensive dessert in a fine dining restaurant. It was nevertheless a memorable dish for any cheese lover and a fitting finale to a showcase of Brown’s gastronomic skills.
Tom Brown at the Capital is unashamedly aimed at guests with deep pockets, but there is no doubt in my mind that he is hell bent on returning another star to this Knightsbridge legend. And with his clear and obvious culinary wizardry he just might pull it off. Perhaps I could even sense a little smugness emanating from the Capital’s storied walls. After all, these leafy back streets have a reputation to protect.
Time will tell no doubt.
Tom Brown image (C) Lateef Photography.. Food images (C) Andy Mossack
Tell me more about Tom Brown at the Capital.
Tom Brown at the Capital, 22-24 Basil St, London SW3 1AT
T: 020 7591 1200 E: reservations.capital@warwickhotels.com
Lunch: 12:00pm to 2pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
Dinner: 6pm – 9pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
