Fin-to-gill sophistication awaits to Tom Brown at The Capital
Expect ambitious cooking from the country’s most creative seafood chef

Tom Brown made his name in London at The Capital hotel as the head chef of Outlaw’s restaurant before going solo, first with contemporary fine-diner Cornerstone in Hackney, then with seafood small plates at Pearly Queen in Spitalfields. With the closure of Cornerstone in 2024, the chef is returning to both Knightsbridge and tasting menus with this self-titled hotel dining room.
Wallpaper* dines at Tom Brown at The Capital
The mood: Small is beautiful
The Capital was a boutique hotel before anyone had invented the term and its restaurant sticks to the small-is-beautiful vibe with space for only 28 diners. Guests begin their experience with a snack in the kitchen before being seated in a dining room of high ceilings and tall windows, with walls lined with Arte International wallpaper, a Richard Bagguley mural on the ceiling and Stark carpet on the floor. Try and arrive early: the tiny bar (also refurbished) is a hidden gem for elegant cocktails without the Knightsbridge bling.
'Working with the historic building, given the generous ceiling and window heights within the restaurant area, the design challenge became the transition between the two spaces. The design requirement needed to allow the restaurant to embrace a lighter and fresher ambience whilst complementing the cosy, intimate atmosphere of the bar,' says Sarah Daniels, founder of DO Design Studio.
The food: formal fine dining with a light touch
Brown developed an affinity for the fish and seafood of his native Cornwall when he was working with two-Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw at the St Enodoc Hotel in Rock. His commitment to sustainable seafood extends not only to a having an oyster tattooed on the back of his head but for using every part of responsibly caught fish. Two tasting menus offer five or nine courses, kicking off with a skewer of steamed mussel stuffed with mussel parfait and dipped in fig and port jelly before progressing through the likes of a cuttlefish ravioli in which the ‘pasta’ is crafted entirely from fish. Diners with smaller appetites may might wish to come for lunch, when there are three, five and seven course selections.
Tom Brown at The Capital is located at 24, 22 Basil St, London SW3 1AT; tombrownatthecapital.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ben McCormack is a London-based restaurant journalist with over 25 years’ experience of writing. He has been the restaurant expert for Telegraph Luxury since 2013, for which he was shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. He is a regular contributor to the Evening Standard, Food and Travel and Decanter. He lives in west London with his partner and lockdown cockapoo.
-
Technology, art and sculptures of fog: LUMA Arles kicks off the 2025/26 season
Three different exhibitions at LUMA Arles, in France, delve into history in a celebration of all mediums; Amy Serafin went to explore
-
Is spontaneity dead?
Today’s travel luxury is the freedom to have no plans and no bookings. Here’s to enjoying the journey, trying your luck and stumbling on a new favourite place
-
In Seth Rogan's 'The Studio', midcentury masterpieces are the star
The AppleTV+ series features some architectural gems which eagle-eyed audiences will have recognised
-
A first look inside Josephine Marylebone, a bistro-licious French restaurant
Following the success of Claude and Lucy Bosi’s first restaurant, in Chelsea, Josephine Marylebone is the second outpost, fitted with an oyster bar and a focus on classic French cuisine
-
The Kerfield Arms is south-east London’s hot new gastropub
In Camberwell, this stripped-back haunt comes courtesy of the team behind The Baring in Hoxton
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spot
Heritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
One Club Row is London’s answer to the Lower East Side
Located at the site of the former hotspot Les Trois Garçons, One Club Row brings back noughties glamour with 19th-century interiors, gourmet bites, and jazz nights
-
Marylebone restaurant Nina turns up the volume on Italian dining
At Nina, don’t expect a view of the Amalfi Coast. Do expect pasta, leopard print and industrial chic
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Treehouse Hotel Manchester: you may not want to leaf
Treehouse Hotel Manchester offers a nature-infused biophilic sanctuary amidst the city’s ever-growing architectural canopy
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeks
Designed by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
London restaurant Tatar Bunar puts Ukrainian heritage front and centre
Family recipes and contemporary design merge at this new east London restaurant by Ukrainian restaurateurs Anna Andriienko and Alex Cooper