The top line: A ‘celebration of meat and seafood’ led by two of the UK’s trendiest chefs, Island marks the first joint project from friends Brad Carter and Tom Brown. The opening comes at an interesting time for both chefs. For Carter, who’s best known for his now-closed Michelin-starred Birmingham restaurant Carters of Moseley, it marks his first restaurant in the capital and comes after plans to open a restaurant in the crypt of Mayfair’s St George’s Church last year fell through. Brown, meanwhile, whose Michelin-starred Hackney Wick flagship Cornerstone closed last year, is launching Island off back of opening of his new eponymous restaurant at Knightsbridge’s The Capital Hotel back in May. The pair describe Island as their take on a traditional steakhouse with a coastal twist, which takes inspiration from the American surf shacks of Seattle and Staten Island.
On the menu: The food offering combines Brown’s extensive knowledge of sourcing and cooking seafood with Carter’s nose-to-tail ethos, and focuses on day-boat fish and shellfish sourced from small, direct fishing operations and dry-aged beef from retired dairy cows from across the isles. With prices pitched at around £50 per head for food, the menu is split between ‘small islands’, ‘large islands’ and ‘tiny islands’, with a range of skewers thrown in for good measure. Dishes include quail-stuffed prawn paella (£32); chicken oyster Caesar salad with pork fat fried ciabatta (£10); and the ‘signature’ Island mixed grill (£70 for two). There’s also, notably, two types of roast potatoes available (£8 each): one with ‘surf seasoning’ (dried mussel, lemon, black pepper & Tajin salt), and another with ‘turf seasoning’ (beef, onion and oregano salt).
The vibe: Set inside the Chandelier Room at Mare Street Market Kings Cross, the 90-cover restaurant is a bright space with plenty of bucolic touches, comfortable banquette seating and antique lights throughout. As well as the indoor dining room, the restaurant also features extensive outdoor seating and sits alongside a private cocktail lounge on the mezzanine floor at Mare Street Market Kings Cross.
And another thing: According to Carter, the restaurant’s name is a nod to his and Browns shared memories of cooking together around the world. “The name is a homage to the islands I have cooked on with Tom throughout our travels - from the rugged British coasts to more tropical shores,” he said.
Mare Street Market Kings Cross, Lewis Cubitt Square, London N1C 4DY // marestreetmarket.com/kingscross/#island