Browns Bar & Brasserie - Islington

Everybody in London knows Browns. Whether they were first introduced whilst at university in Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton or Bristol, or they work near one in the City, Covent Garden or Canary Wharf, Browns has become very much part of the London scene.

The strengths of Browns have always been you know what you are going to get, attractive staff, straight forward food cooked well and excellent value wines and cocktails. However, as with any enterprise, no matter how good, time moves on, and Browns have given their restaurants a different look that has retained the best and added where necessary.

Browns opened up in Islington, on the Green and next door to Waterstones in a part of London, which has always had a cutting edge to it. In October 2004 a new design was unveiled with a much more contemporary flavour including a lounge space at the front of restaurant that is equally appropriate for drinking or dining. The whole area now feels a great deal more comfortable whilst still retaining the original Browns style.

The bar is where the transformation is most obvious. The bar counter is now clad in pewter, which gives it the feel and look of Paris in the 1920s. The wine list is as diverse as ever and there are still the wonderful signature cocktails for all to try. There has also been the addition of some great draught beers such as Staropramen, Leffe, Erdinger and Amstel; perfect for the after work drinkers.

The back area of Browns is reserved for diners and is much more of a serene environment than it was before with pastel colours used to add a sense of warmth. The whole ambience is one of quality coupled with the thought that someone has spent a great deal of time and effort in creating a truly special feel.

The menu has been over-hauled to reflect all the design changes. It still has all the old favourites, but there are now some lighter options for those who don't need comfort food all the time. They all combine to provide a menu that suits all needs, whether it is a light lunch, afternoon tea or a pre-theatre meal. Thus, starters could include a grilled oyster Florentine, three oysters with spinach, cream and parmesan; pan seared scallops with bacon, spinach and confit of sweet peppers, or homemade soup of the day served with fresh crusty bread.

Moving down, the range of main courses include slowly braised pork with black pudding and crisped bacon served with mashed potato and sage gravy; rack of lamb with a red wine jus, sprouting broccoli and dauphinoise potatoes, or chicken pappardelle tossed in a garlic, parsley, white wine and cream sauce. Hard to resist are puddings such as poached pear with warm chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream and raspberry and chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream.

What Browns has always done so well is provide a place where you can enjoy yourself and nothing has changed there. If you are out shopping with the family, meeting friends for dinner, going out with colleagues for a drink after work leading on to a bite to eat, then Browns is a superb choice. The service is always friendly and efficient but unlike some other chains in Islington, Browns delivers the quality of food to back it up.

If you haven't been to Browns for a while then you really should give Browns Islington a go. My guess is you will be pleasantly surprised. Their Website will yield further information particularly on menus and opportunities for other social gatherings.