Browns Covent Garden is now open following a stunning £2.5m refurbishment. Timed to celebrate the group’s 50th birthday, the renovation of the old Westminster County Court transforms the Grade II-listed building.
The launch also brings a new bar to the West End in the form of Spey Bar (pictured), from the team behind the world-renowned Quaich Bar at Scotland’s Craigellachie Hotel.
The restaurant’s main dining room now showcases a stunning art deco styling, luxurious furnishings and opulent finishes with a colour palette of calming blues and blush pinks with pops of warming fuchsia. Unique features such as the county court cells serve as wine cellars and the original courtrooms, Judge’s chambers and study make for unique private dining rooms with stunning new looks, perfect for corporate or social events.
From breakfast through to dinner, the restaurant serves fresh seasonal creations alongside classic brasserie favourites, expertly crafted cocktails and a comprehensive range of wine and Champagne.
The spring menu will feature starters including fennel pollen and orange smoked salmon; pan-seared scallops with peas, broad beans and pancetta; and charred fig, whipped goat’s cheese and beetroot salad, while mains include harissa-spiced lamb rack; rhubarb barbecue pork belly; and roast cod, wild garlic and asparagus.
Classics remain such as Pulled Lamb Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Schnitzel and Browns Fish Pie while weekends serve traditional Sunday roasts with all the trimmings. They have fresh market fish and lobster delivered daily and Surf & Turf specials every Friday and Saturday, featuring a whole fresh lobster and two 7oz fillet steaks to share, served with cherry vine tomatoes, watercress, fries and a choice of sauces.
Browns have created a special list of cocktails for the occasion, celebrating their 50 years with a touch of nostalgia and a trip down memory lane, including a Lemon Bon Bon Bellini and Pineapple Upside Down Cake Highball. A special 50th Birthday afternoon tea will soon be launched too.
Spey Bar From the world-renowned Quaich bar at the Craigellachie Hotel, comes the beautiful new Spey Bar in London’s West End. Inspired by the magic of this historic Speyside institution, from the unparalleled whisky collection, to the authentic local produce, to the much-loved charm of the hotel’s Copper Dog Pub, Spey Bar is an unbridled celebration of Highland hospitality.
With over 100 different whiskies on offer, Spey showcases everything from the traditional whisky dram to distinctive whisky pairings with herbs, botanicals and fruits. The signature cocktail list features a playful take on some Scottish favourites, or enjoy a real Scottish ale while you soak up the unique atmosphere of this cosy bar.
Speyside is considered by many as Scotland’s larder due to the rich and varied landscape of food and drink from the region. Spey bar is the place to sit back, relax and enjoy the best of this local fayre, with food handpicked from the best of Scottish producers brought right to the heart of London. Spey bar is upstairs at Browns Covent Garden in an intimate setting with plush furnishings, perfect for a pre-dinner drink, a digestif or a whole evening’s worth of hand-crafted cocktails.
Browns was the first hospitality venture established by Jeremy Mogford, who in 1973 invested £10k in the first Browns Restaurant and Bar in Brighton, East Sussex. He established a chain of seven restaurants, mostly in university towns such as Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford. Now, the group consists of 26 restaurants throughout the UK with sites across London as well as Bath, Birmingham, Brighton, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
