Brown's, England by Bureaucrat

Feeling too lazy to cook dinner, the Lawyer and I decided to have dinner at Brown's.


Brown's describes itself as a brasserie/bar.


Inside it has a classic dark brown chairs (the type where you could imagine Liza Minelli singing and dancing around), warm lighting and accented by shiny gold details.


Because it's allegedly "summer" here in the UK, I went for a Marakaibo, a mocktail that's comprised of cherry, pomegranate and elderflower with cucumber and mint. It was very tasty and wasn't overly sweet, and had plenty of cucumber and mint. The Lawyer went for a gin and tonic.


For mains, the Lawyer got the steak frites, which came with chips and a parlsey and peppercorn butter. The Lawyer quite liked his dish.


As mentioned in an earlier blog, I've been on the hunt for a good steak. Ergo, I ordered the 28-day rib-eye steak, which came with bloody mary butter. The steak was pretty good - a nice beefy flavour, and although the bloody mary sauce didn't have that much flavour, I quite liked the idea of it. I also quite liked the chips with its skin, which very crispy...I had wished they had given me more chips.

Overall
A nice place for a meal and a drink. It has a family friendly vibe, but at the same time, it's a smart and relaxed place for a drink.

The food was slightly above average, and I liked the extensive drinks menu (which included a sizeable list of non-alcholic drinks). I wouldn't mind coming back to try their many cocktails.

The service was the only bad point. The staff tended to put all the diners towards the back of the restaurant. While this was fine, it did mean it was difficult to catch the waiters' attention. They'd only come by to take your order or deliver your dishes. As a result, if you wanted something (eg a new drink, or in my case, some tomato sauce and to settle the bill), it was impossible to get their attention.

Address
Brown's
Hertsmere Rd
West India Quay E14 4
Telephone: (020) 7987 9777