Brawn in Tower Hamlets

Brawn, nestled on Columbia Road, is a gem for lovers of seasonal European cuisine and natural wines. Their ever-changing menu showcases rustic yet refined dishes, with standouts like Cantabrian Anchovies with Rosemary Oil & Lemon, Rabbit & Prune Terrine, and the hearty Duck Breast with Coco Beans & Roasted Peppers. Seafood lovers will enjoy the Mackerel with Fresh Gooseberries, while desserts like Îles Flottantes with Crunchy Caramel provide a sweet finish. With its warm, unpretentious atmosphere and expertly curated flavors, Brawn is a must-visit for those seeking simple yet elegant dining in East London

Im going to have dreams about their parmesan fritters

Amazing food, solid wine list and a cosy atmosphere; enjoyed a terrific evening in Hackney.

Brawn is probably my favourite restaurant in London. Atmosphere is super cozy, the staff is lovely and the food is SO GOOD. Definitely a bit more on the expensive side, but I always make sure to stop by when I’m in town.

Food was excellent. Some of the best mussels I have had in a long time. Great experience. Will be back again.

The perfect neighbourhood restaurant: stunning food, charming service and a cool, relaxed vibe.

I wish I could say good effort but doesnt even deserve that. Especially with a menu so boring it seems like they pulled in from some other restaurant next door in shoreditch. Probably the worst lamp rump ive had in my life, all of the food was flying off of the plate just trying to cut it, it was so tough. On top of that we waited an unacceptable amount of time between courses, yes we came in last minute, but if your kitchen cant pull it off id rather you not seat us than ruin my evening. For the easily impressed types. Half of the menu can be cooked better at home so id just suggest doing that that coming here (you can use less salt at home than they do too)

Brawn was such a wonderful experience! I went for my birthday and all the staff made it feel so special, a shoutout to Amy who took great care of us. The food and atmosphere was 5/5, would definitely recommend the seafood and pasta dishes.

Lovely small plates and wines 🍷

We were planning to have lunch at Brown's restaurant. Since we were only 10 minutes away and saw online that tables were available, we decided not to make a reservation. However, upon arriving at the restaurant, we found only a few tables occupied and a generally quiet atmosphere. We were with our 2-year-old daughter, a stroller, and some bags. When we requested a table, the manager informed us that they were fully booked. I politely pointed out that I had just checked their online availability, but he abruptly stated that he had already given away all the tables. This dismissive response was unacceptable, especially considering the number of empty tables we observed. While I understand that other restaurants may have been busy, it was disappointing that Brown's, despite showing availability online, was unable to accommodate us. I would not recommend this restaurant.

they try pay people for reviews! the place is also very unhygienic and i found a hair in my food, they ask people to write them good reviews and bribe them with money.

In a world of pasteurised and over the top trends this is an oasis of elegance; authentic and classic food; delicious ambience of low lights and non pretencious decor; music and great hospitality.

This place is amazing, incredible staff always there to help with fast service. The food doesn’t get better than it dose here. Would definitely recommend

Nice food nice interior and great service

The food was really good I love Mediterranean foood the service was amazing I wasn’t waiting long and the atmosphere was splendid I’d love to go again

It was a very nice place 2 eat very good food 10 out of 10 in my opinion

The restaurant is always a treat and the food and the team were exceptional a special shout out to May whose delightful service made my besties birthday lunch even more special :) will always come back to this place for unique flavours and top notch service 16 out of 10 :) Stevie says yes !! :)

Great meal, nice space and really friendly service. Food was excellent.

Delicious food. Incredibly helpful and attentive wait staff. The atmosphere is delightful. The quality of food for the price is entirely reasonable. I would highly recommend and will be back!

Food was incredible, we were sat at the back near the kitchen, and it’s so entertaining to see how the kitchen and the chef work. Every dish was special and the flavours were off the charts.

The food was fantastic. Our waiter, Peter, really knows wine and he took great care of us. The space is cozy, casual, and welcoming. We'll be back for more.

Really lovely restaurant with interesting and well executed dishes. The quail was amazing and flavourful. We also had the venison ragu and brill which I forgot to take pics of because was too busy eating 😅 probably a little on the pricey side but was worth it.

I was really looking forward to going to Brawn as I enjoy many of the restaurants that former staff members have gone on to start (Upstairs in Bath is wonderful). In its prime it must have been a great place to go, but it isn't operating at the highest level. I don't want to leave an overly negative review. I understand that things happen. However, this is an established restaurant with an enormous reputation that failed to live up to my reasonable expectations. I went a few weeks ago after I booked months in advance. Parts of the meal were good, but the execution was middling to poor. One of the two starters was good. One came out minutes before the other (they nicely comped a drink for this). We both had pork which was ok. We were seated by the front door (after booking far in advance) and had the wafts of cigarette smoke at various points in the meal. Service was incredibly slow (very nearly two hours for two courses that we ordered promptly). I don't know if they were down on staff or if this was an odd experience but we ended up not ordering dessert simply to leave at a decent time. I wasn't intending to leave a negative review, but I left a detailed response to the restaurant via SevenRooms to which I received no reply.

Best atmosphere, food is excellent and staff and service was brilliant all night. Lovely fresh starter cured sea bass , best duck dish ever and the most perfect dessert and incredibly wonderful- do -not-miss baked Alaska with wonderful recommendations on wine.

Brawn is both a fantastic neigborhood restaurant - the food is fresh and the flavors are remarkable, the ambiance is the right balance between cozy, warm, welcoming and romantic, and the service is superb. I recently came here with my partner and the staff was so accommodating of our dietary needs (no alcohol, no pork, no problem). It's very clear that they put a lot of thought and care into every detail.

One of the best experiences ever; taste, dishes, service, location and prices: Brawn has it all. Congratulations, we will be back!

Was there for the winemakers dinner last night and had such a nice evening. Food was delicious, the mushroom & snail vol-au-vent was amazing. Was so nice to be able to chat with Camille about her wine, the 2016 was tasting so good! Our waitress Lauren was great too, very knowledgeable and personable. Look forward to returning soon hopefully!

Amazing food and service. Got the duck, apple tart, and the “floating island” dessert and all were incredible. Duck was cooked perfectly and had a delicious sauce. Great environment as well, 10/10 experience.

Really lovely place with a beautiful atmosphere and vibe. Delicious food albeit a bit pricey though as close as one can get to a Michelin experience without the fancy pretentious fanfare.

I expected something acceptable and was unexpectedly surprised at how perfect Brawn was. We ordered everything on the menu and every single dish was amazing. Fantastic.

Was really excited to eat here. Whole experience was clouded by rude waitress. Unhelpful about the wine and menu and when we asked if we could order our mains after we had eaten our starters she said ‘no I won’t put any of it through the kitchen until you can decide on mains!’ And stormed off. So we literally sat there starving until we could decide which mains we wanted as well. lol never experienced that before.

Food and service were lovely Champagne and wine were delicious Thanks we will return

Esta fue nuestra última comida en Hackney antes de mudarnos más lejos. Queríamos ir por un tiempo, pero desafortunadamente encontramos la comida un poco agobiante. Tenía el ragu de pato que estaba bien, pero esperaba más de un factor sorpresa. También teníamos los panes dulces, atún y puerro. Por el precio, esperaba mucho más. Quizá lo pillamos en un mal día.

Excellent service and atmosphere. Unfortunately, the main courses were just okay for us at this price point. The tiramisu did stand out and was quite nice

What a delight Brawn is. We sat close to the kitchen, we could see all the action happening, the art that went into every plate. The plates were perfectly crafted and as delicious as they looked. Deserts with olive oil and salt are becoming my favourite!

Fantastic, cosy, gastronomic but chilled experience where the waitressing staff know their menus (food and wine) inside out, which makes for very useful recommendations. The food was fantastic. Would go back in a heart beat

all the starters were good enjoyed 2 rounds of oysters the mains were good both the pastas were oversalted. hope the chefs taste before they send it out next time :)

If you are looking for a quiet cozy place this is the perfect spot, the lighting gives a nice atmosphere to the place from the moment you walk in , menu super seasonal with lots of flavour to every single dish. Really really impressed with the wine list 10/10

Forgive me but I do not have time at all to complain about restaurant. Brawn is a scam, new kind of scam. Are you fancy with small plates, strange atmosphere and even more strange prices? Go to the Brawn! And leave sad and still hungry.

A place located just between a community living but with a prices higher than at the places located in a posher areas. Portions of mains with a caliber of startes. Ragu presented in a flat plate. Have to be a snow loving individual with no hunger to come here for a dinner and leave satisfied. Go somewhere else and be happy there with your money well spend. This is not the address.

Fuimos allí para una cena de cumpleaños casual de mitad de semana y lo que una gran comida que tuvimos! Servicio encantador y cocina impresionante. Después de un negroni perfecto, compartimos el crostino con higos y cuajada de cabras y los puerros (de los que pude tener 2 porciones, estaban tan buenos). Luego a los agnolotti para la verdura y el cerdo para el comedor de carne, ambos ricos en sabor, perfectamente cocinados y platos profundamente satisfactorios. Completamos la comida con el parfait de pistacho - sin duda esperando nuestra próxima visita ya.

Loved everything about this restaurant! Took my dad here after just moving to East London and it’s a perfect ambiance for family, friends, or date night. It’s a gorgeous interior and the staff were excellent. The food was flawless, especially the beef carpaccio, and the wine selection was great. On the pricey side but worth it for the experience.

Wonderful diner or lunch! Pasta is the best

Found a last minute booking after hearing good things. The service was incredibly good and there were really good starters. I would recommend the anchovies. The pasta was not the best pasta I have ever eaten. Generally a good experience, venue seems to get busier as the evening goes on and we had a early booking. It was nice but I would not come again.

Muy al este, un viaje muy tranquilo, pero vale la pena cada momento. Fabulosa comida interesante. Personal encantador. Comedores muy jóvenes. Carta de vinos un poco demasiado moderno para mí, pero con gusto volvería a comer aquí de nuevo. Recuerde reservar con antelación porque está muy ocupado!

Dinner was amazing. Service was impeccable. Food was delectable. One of the chefs stopping his flow and asking us if we wanted to try a particular dish I had been talking about was incredible. Very, very well done.

Wow we loved this place. Food was unique but simple and done with precision. It was a great example of what I think a lot of London restaurants are trying to achieve but many aren’t hitting the mark on the quality and taste you need to bring. Particularly enjoyed the scallops and the soup. The chocolate mousse dessert was too intense so I would recommend the rhubarb tart they had instead (but may have been seasonal). Servers were friendly and the atmosphere was very charming, we enjoyed sitting in the back and watching the kitchen. I live in east London and took my grandparents and they asked me several times over to repeat the name they liked it so much.

Where shall i start?! This is bee the most demure experience and the service staff was great with delivering the food, we heard a lot about their wine so we decide to check out the restaurant. Is quiet pricey for London but again is totally worthy

would have been better if the waiters weren't hitting on my girlfriend whilst i was trying to get to the reservation. the food was basic and was too expensive for what it was.

We came to Brawn with a couple of friends after our legal marriage and had the best time. They made our day so special, food was incredible and would recommend to anyone!

Lovely neighbourhood restaurant, the setting was perfect for a date and the food was incredible.

Ordered the dishes that the staff recommended. -Ox heart, tomatoes, tropea onions & salmoriglio -Veal belly, chickpeas, chard & anchovy Really well cooked and well seasoned! Portion looks small but full at last! ***ox heart!💕

Been to Brawn a few times over the years and it doesn’t disappoint. Wine list is fab, food is great, and the team attention. Unhurried leisurely paced dining.

Really enjoyed the food and vibes!

The quality of ingredients here is great and service is good, however, I found the food and menu somewhat confusing. A Mediterranean restaurant that seemed to be influenced more so by Italy/spain/UK. The dishes felt like they had too much going on at times and overwhelmed the star ingredient. However, all of the food was cooked well (aside from the pasta that felt like it wasn’t kneaded and rested for long enough) it just all needed to be more appropriately paired with its accompaniments.

Friends recommended this place and we’re glad they did!! Friendly staff, cool vibe, amazing food and nice wines. The girollo tagliatelle tasted lovely and the desert with pistache bun was delicious 🥰 Thanks for the great lunch!!

Amazing experience. The oysters were very fresh and delicious. Trippa Alla Romana was very good and amazing. The tomatoes went very well with the tripes and tasted so good. I probably would not order the crab tagliatelle again but the Veal belly is very good. The Panna cotta is amazing 😍. Love Panna cotta all the time. It's a bit pricey but considering the food and service it's worthwhile .

Lovely atmosphere, delicious food, and caring staff

Incredibly cosy and lovely restaurant hidden in the heart of Columbia Road! From great service and food to an impeccable atmosphere, we had a tremendous evening dining here!

If you’re looking for perfectly executed seasonal fare in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere with attentive and knowledgeable service staff this is the place.

The food was very well presented and the quality of the ingredients very high. The only reason I didn’t give 5 is because I found the prices an extra higher than expected. But still, the experience, the service, the atmosphere, very good

Never disappoints. High quality ingredients meets high quality cooking with fantastic booze to go along with it. If I could, I would have turned our lunch into dinner and never left. Worth every penny.

Beautiful and gorgeous food, delicious wines and alcohol free beverages, and the sweetest attentive staff. Lots of options for pescatarians. I also super appreciated how friendly everyone was. We went for Saturday brunch — definitely not to be missed!

The ambiance of the restaurant was amazing and one of the best I’ve experienced in London. The food started out very well and my group loved all of the starters. We were all slightly disappointed with our main courses though. I would come back with the hope that the main courses have changed slightly.

Lovely atmosphere, food was 5/5, the service was amazing too. Overall a great evening, would definitely come back again.

amazing dinner at brawn, location is ideal, food was amazing, drinks perfect, and vibe was on point. the quail was the highlight of the meal, couldn’t fault it at all! would definitely recommend

Quite expensive for very small portions so I was quite disappointed.

I fell in love with this restaurant. Thanks for the best Ragu of my life, so good I had to get a second plate to share with my friend!!!!

Really good pasta, and the chocolate and olive oil desert was very nice too

The rabbit was super salty but the pickle was lovely The quail was salty as well but less than the rabbit. Veal Raju was nice but again a bit salty. The almonds were nice. The custard in the dessert was amazing and their service was excellent.

Lovely restaurant near Columbia Road. Great place if you’re up for sharing. We tried most of the dishes on the menu and they were all extremely tasty and original. I would definitely recommend the quail, veal bavette and lamb chops. The sommelier was super helpful and gave us great recommendations. I will go back soon!

Service, atmosphere and most importantly the food are all the best you'll get. Try as many dishes as you can and share them. Everyone who works at Brawn clearly cares what, and how, you are served. Utter, utter perfection that's familiar but different each time.

Good food, a bit overpriced but great oysters!

Amazing place - every meal I have there is more and more impressive.

Maybe we caught it on a bad day? But we found the food missed the mark a bit--the pasta / ragu a bit oily (but still good), the natural wine fine but nothing too spectacular. The atmosphere and service are great, and would likely come back again to give it a second go, but there wasn't anything that really stood out for the first visit.

Maybe we caught it on a bad day? But we found the food missed the mark a bit--the pasta / ragu a bit oily (but still good), the natural wine fine but nothing too spectacular. The atmosphere and service are great, and would likely come back again to give it a second go, but there wasn't anything that really stood out for the first visit.

Great food, service and atmosphere. Anchovies, rabbit, black pudding and squid… everything was great!! Great music too😊

Delicious food and really amazing value relative to restaurants of its calibre in London

Couldn't recommend enough! Delicious!

Gorgeous, cozy restaurant in East London serving dishes that can be shared but also kept all to oneself should you prefer to do so. Top flavours, a super friendly and chill service and all round amazing atmosphere (really!). Wine selection was good too, although I didn’t enjoy the Gamay but no biggie. Not far from the infamous Brick Lane, right next to a small park, this is a little nugget!

One of the best restaurants I ever tried in London, and I don’t mean that lightly. Booked to celebrate a special occasion and it left us speechless. Loved the cozy atmosphere, the service was just lovely (wish I got the name of our waitress, she was so great) and the food is just fantastic. It’s hard to chose as everything was flawless, but our favourites were the anchovies, the brill and the grilled squid with black pudding was the winner 🥇 Thanks to the whole team for such a memorable time!

It was good but not THAT good, maybe it was the hype I felt for it before… SERVICE - 5/5, just point on. Happy, easy to talk to and just really service minded. FOOD - 3/5, the Agnolotti was tasteless and I wasn’t especially fond of the black pudding with octopus (didn’t play well in my view)..but then the lamb sweetbread was amazing. PRICE - 3/5, just the fact that you need to pay 4,5£ for bread should render a 1/5..but generally, the prices are on the high end and then the food and flavours should really be top notch ATMOSPHERE - 3/5, ok place with nice wibes, but really nothing special.

One of the most incredible meals I’ve ever ate

Best restaurant in east London. Always delivers Amazing wine list - a bit on the natural side - served by staff the know their stuff Lovely spot for lunch

I visited Friday night as a walk-in and they accommodated me at the bar, incredibly kind service, mostly the wine selection and the tiramisu are divine

Tasty & high quality food, although I’d say not too many options for pescatarians/vegetarians! Our server was super helpful in answering our questions. Personally the highlights were the wine, bread, and dessert! Perhaps a bit overpriced but overall a nice experience!

An incredible meal. Try and get a table at the back next to the kitchen if you can to see the chefs at work. 10/10 all round.

I miss the times when I could just pop up to Brawn and grab a table. It’s a great neighborhood restaurant, in that you could go several times a week and always find something to fit your mood (European? They have gourgeres, cold cuts, changing pasta, meat and fish dishes, excellent appetizers, nice natural wine list…). It only suffers the Groucho problem: nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded. But if you can plan ahead and book, totally worth it.

Highly recommend, great vibes, great staff, great variety of dishes.

Black pudding squid dish - (how does one make black pudding taste like that?) Had to be the best meal I’ve ever had in a restaurant, every bite was sublime. I thought the salt and pepper grinders were nice ornaments on the table as they didn’t need to be touched.

Questo delizioso locale in Columbia Road mi ha conquistata. L’ambiente è confortevole e rilassato, il personale attento ed i piatti davvero buoni. Non cerco la cucina italiana a Londra ma se la trovo per caso e mi fa sentire a casa allora so che ne è valsa la pena. Gli agnolotti sono stati un vero e proprio comfort food. Le animelle e la tarte tatin sono tra le mie pietanze preferite in assoluto! Non potevo chiedere di meglio.

Fantastic restaurant with extensive wine list. Small plate style with the crab and squid being stars of the show. Tiramisu was also out of this world. Service was great too, would definitely return.

Great dinner choice on my trip to London. Highlight was the Baccala (sp?), perfectly satisfying with fried parsley (which I need to try at home now). Wonderful ambiance as well.

Brawn is possibly one of the restaurants I’ll highly recommend in London. Food is great, so is atmosphere & service though I must say it will appeal more to the younger crowd who prefer a more casual ambience. Portions tend to be small & prices not cheap.

Such a cozy place. We enjoyed it very much. Charcuterie £20 - you can see how fatty those slices in the picture. I've seen pictures that looks like it's pure fat. It's rich and melt in your mouth. Pair great with our red wine that's slightly sweet but I would dare to get a second slice. Lucky 4 of us shared Oyster £4 each - small but very refreshing. Doesn't wow us but it's was good Baccala £12 - fish in a paste form with cheese cracker/cake on the side. It sounded weird but think of it like tuna salad on a salty cracker but a more sophisticated taste. A bit too salty tho Mozzarella £17 - the leafy greens on the sound was very interesting and gave the fish a new dimension. Very refreshing. Crab £18 - such a small portion. The crab has very mild taste so amongst all the salty dishes, this doesn't stand out that much. But you can taste the quality of the ingredients. Clams £17 - yummy. Cooked in a tomato-y sauce with some barley type of grains. Still on the more salty side but still manageable Angolotti £15 - small ravioli with meat stuff in the inside. Feels like a wonton soup to me but really really really salty. If it's not that salty, I think we would have loved it. Pappardelle £22 - typical ragu pasta dish. Tasty. Black pudding with squid £29 - star of the show. Absolutely delicious. Bit pricey for the portion tho. Lamb neck £32 - yummy yummy. Slightly pink on the inside. Our waitstaff was great but the wine guy was not helpful at all.

No cohesion between meals, just good Italian/ French meals but too expensive for what it is and the attention brought in each meal is low. - - The plate of charcuterie is excellent, but no bread salad or anything brought with it (about 7 tranches that's it but of top quality) for 20£ - interesting wine list from France that is different from classic bordeaux &Bourgogne - lamb Chop is excellent but... nothing with it? Some tomato sauce and ONE vegetable, no carbs or Veggies, just meet and sauce. Quality is high, but the meals are somewhat missing something evetytime. Very good deserts though. 150£ for two people is on the higher end here for what was brought.

Been to Brawn many times over the last 15 years. Service/atmosphere good as always, but sorry to say the cooking is nowhere near the past levels of greatness. Basically now it is very expensive but bang average ‘phoned in’ dated in Italian cuisine.

Overall a good date night dinner place. Found it a little pretentious, the food sounded fancier (and more costly) than it was tasty. A vast majority of the dishes were fish/seafood. Service wasn't very attentive, even though we were right next to the station with people swarming around us most of the meal. Good, not great.

I wrote a review about Brawn some time ago but now I have to rectify it. I've been at Brawn twice in the past weeks and i found everything is excessively salty as if the chef fears so that there isn't enough flavor in the ingredients that he uses and overwhelms everything with salt Spaghetti with pesto and artichokes, crab, pappardelle with ragu were all too salty to me. I couldn't taste at all the artichokes. I hope it is just a temporary blip

Fantastic place, food and experience. Fully recommend