Cornerstone

We came here for our wedding anniversary having read lots of rave reviews about the restaurant. We were rather disappointed to be honest - there were no stand out dishes and the food was bland. There are far better options in London; don't believe the hype!

Favourite restaurant in London right now. Outstanding imaginative food.

New and classy.

Had a delicious meal here - exquisite flavours, charming but relaxed service. Mackerel paté was a standout dish. Would love to return for the tasting menu.

Simple food, done well. A small menu, celebrating fish and seafood mainly. Wonderful to see the Head chef so involved and his passion so evident on a plate. The most excited i've been to about food in a long time and I have eaten in a lot of Michelin starred restaurants.

This was our fourth visit to Cornerstone so you might be wondering why we love it here so much. Well actually it's very simple the fish dishes created by chef Tom Brown are amazing and the desserts by Kelly Cullen are delicious so when you match this along with the great friendly service the decision to keep coming back is very easy. It was also therefore no surprise when they received yet another award meaning they are now the proud holders of 3 AA Rosettes. The surrounding area in Hackney Wick where the restaurant is situated is being developed all the time which surely can only benefit this place as well. It's very easy to get to as its only a very short walk from the station and also close to the Olympic Village which in fact as it was a nice day is the route we took from Stratford. On our arrival we was given the usual friendly welcome just like our previous visits. Our table couldn't have been better as it was right opposite the pass where Tom completes and makes sure each dish is perfect before it's sent out. Our lunch started with a complimentary glass of bubbles courtesy of Tom. We were then given the menu which was full of fabulous new dishes to try as well as a couple of old favourites. On our previous visits we've always ordered the entire menu so after deliberating if we could leave anything out only to remember how good they were before we decided to once again order everything. This decision brought a smile to the managers face as she remembered that we did this the last time.

We started with the most amazing Sourdough Toast with Netherend Farm Butter which was quickly followed by two selections of Oysters. The first is the original Pickled Oyster with Celery , Horseradish & Dill and the new Native Oyster with a Seaweed Hot Sauce. Once we finished the oysters we then ordered a fabulous bottle of Certosa an Italian Rose Wine from the Island of Capri which was a real delight and accompanied the remainder of the dishes nicely. 

Next on the list was the first of stunning new dishes a fantastic Brill Tartare with Wild Garlic , Mushrooms & Egg Yolk. This was followed by Cured Gurnard with Grapes , Almonds & Sherry Vinegar. We finished this little section with a favourite the Mackerel Pate with Cider , Sea Purslane & heavenly Treacle Bread 

After enjoying a little break we were then treated to some fantastic St Austell Bay Mussels in a Cafe de Paris sauce just sublime especially when you come across couple of beautiful Clams hidden at the bottom. Following this was another fabulous new dish of Fried Jerusalem Artichokes with Cod's Roe & Hazelnuts before enjoying a couple of fabulous Hand dived Scallops , Coral Butter & Lime a pure delight 

We then continued to another old favourite with a slight change the Potted Shrimp Crumpet now with Kohlrabi , Gherkins & Parsley but still amazing. This was followed by two more new dishes the first being a fabulous Roast Cornish Hake with Celeriac , Anchovy & Chilli. Then came the highlight of the day a truly stunning Whole Monkfish Tail with the famous Chicken Butter Sauce. If you come here even for just one dish then this is it 

After enjoying the amazing dishes another rest was required. During this time manager then came over to ask if we'd like the cheese course or dessert. We looked at her and just smiled and she new what was coming as we said you may now bring the rest. This is where the amazing Kelly Cullen takes over starting with a fabulous Cheese Course consisting of a Blue Cheese , Honey Cake , Figs & Walnuts a perfect combination 

Now it was time for desserts and once again Kelly excelled herself with three absolute beauties. The first was a fantastic Sea Salt Praline Tart & Pecan simply amazing. Second was a stunning Pavlova with Rhubarb , Clotted Cream & Ginger. Then our last dessert was a fabulous Dark Chocolate Torte with Blood Orange & Creme Fraiche Ice Cream 

We finished with a coffee and Petit Fours which brought to end another memorable lunch here at Cornerstone. Before we left it was nice to have a chat with Tom who really is such a nice person. I'd like to Thank Tom , Christian & Kelly for the amazing food plus thanks to the front of house team for their excellent service. Another plus is that the menu changes often which is great if you are local and are able to visit on a regular basis. So yes I would highly recommend a visit as you are really missing out if you haven't been yet. I for one certainly won't be leaving it to long before I return and try more of this restaurant's amazing dishes.

We found ourselves a bit confused here, a modern restaurant with a top chef in a fully open kitchen set amongst the road works of Hackney Wick and patronised by local noisy millennials who can hardly stop chirping long enough to feed their faces let alone appreciate the food and achieving a volume level almost the equal of that at Pollen Street Social. The quietest area in the place was the kitchen, with Tom Brown calmly passing on instructions as he finished the dishes to go to the pass. Indeed, the kitchen was an oasis of calm by comparison with the action front of house, where, with one Hibernian exception, the staff appeared unable to keep up with the hectic pace of service in the small plates regime and thus unable to interact with the guests. There was no tasting menu as such, but we discovered that the items on the carte marked with a star could be served for a set price, although it was not clear at first glance. The pickled oyster with crunchy celery, horseradish and dill made an excellent start, and this was followed by cured gurnard, an option familiar to Port Isaac devotees, along with almonds and grapes for texture and sweetness and a dash of sherry vinegar adding an extra tang. So far so good, and then one of the absolute highlights - cured mackerel with fish pâté, super separate and divine together, and supported brilliantly by seaweed broth, mild cucumber, dill and treacle bread perfect for mopping up the juices. The next dish was listed as chargrilled celeriac, but for us the feature was the superb cod’s roe backed up by a creamy dressing on a shredded celeriac remoulade and with crunchy hazelnut for texture. We had been looking forward to the potted shrimp crumpet but we hadn’t reckoned with the hit from the cayenne butter although this was balanced and alleviated by a kohlrabi cream. The perfectly cooked hake was elevated by a pumpkin purée which emphasised the taste and texture of the fish and matched the thyme dressing expertly. Blue cheese came as an accompaniment to a lovely brown butter honey cake and delicious warm fig. We finished off with chocolate fondant resplendent with peanuts, banana and a touch of rum, delicious but very difficult to share equally. Our mint tea to round the meal off was just that - no petits fours appeared. Our overall reaction was mixed because although many of the dishes were top-class, we reckoned that a good deal of them had been pre-prepped to provide the maximum throughput for the maximum headcount in any one evening - we had been warned of the possibility of having our table turned - and, given the enormous potential of the kitchen to furnish excellent cuisine along more classical lines, we did feel a slight let-down.

Tom Browns first solo venture, brilliant dishes from the freshest ingredients.

It's a chef striking out on his own for the first time and it is an impressive debut, with excellent food and friendly, informed service.

On hearing that Chef Tom Brown was looking for a venue to set up his own restaurant I was very excited to find out where that would be. Then when we heard that it would be in Hackney Wick I was at first a bit surprised but secondly very happy as it wasn't to far away. In fact it's in a great location just one stop from Stratford in an area that is quickly being redeveloped which should be great for the restaurant. Being very keen to visit knowing his back round as Head Chef for Nathan Outlaw and also seeing him on Great British Menu we decided on Saturday to do just that. We got on a train at Romford then just 20 minutes later we're walking out of Hackney Wick station where you immediately see all the redevelopment taking place. Then just a very short walk from the station you arrive at Cornerstone which is set in a quirky little area. As you enter the restaurant there's a nice relaxed & casual atmosphere. We were greeted by one of the staff who were all very friendly throughout our visit. We started with a drink at the bar and it was from there you got a great view of the big open kitchen in front of you with the tables set out at the front and down each side of the kitchen. We were then seated at the side in fact right where Tom was himself which was great and gave you an insight to seeing a chef run his restaurant close up. We was then given the menu and as we expected it was mainly fish in fact nine of the twelve courses which are all sharing plates. Our waiter went through the menu options to help us decide but we just looked at him and said can we have everything which seem to please him so that's exactly what we did. We started with some Sourdough Toast & Coral Butter before enjoying a fabulous Pickled Oysters with celery , horseradish & dill we then enjoyed some delightful Raw Hand Dived Scallops with Tomato before a stunning Cured Monkfish with grape , almond & sherry vinegar The next course was a fantastic Mackerel Pate with seaweed , cucumber & homemade Rye Bread. This was then followed by a beautiful Asparagus dish with smoked cod's roe. We then had an amazing Lamb Shoulder Kiev with anchovy , pea & mint before enjoying a fantastic Potted Shrimp Crumpet with kohlrabi , gherkin & parsley. The final four courses were some of the best fish dishes you could wish to try and we started with a amazing piece of Plaice with lobster , paprika & courgette followed by a fabulous Roast Pollock & cafe de Paris hollandaise. We then had the most fantastic Cider Braised Cuttlefish with lentil , apple & spring onion dressing before our last dish a stunning Ray Wing with a spiced aubergine purée , basil & ginger. Well it has to be said each and every dish was amazing We chose a lovely bottle of organic wine the Macabeo 2017 with its fruity aromas of apricot , Pear & citrus fruits with floral notes that seemed to compliment the dishes quite nicely It was then time for Cheese & desserts as we jokingly said to the waiter that we was going to have everything. There was a nice selection of five cheeses which came with a delicious Saint Kew Chutney & Sourdough Crackers. Before moving onto desserts which were also heavenly and literally a excellent way to finish. The first being a Cornish Burnt Cream with strawberry saffron & ginger. The second was a Chocolate Mousse with raspberry & pistachio bringing to an end a simply amazing lunch After finishing with a coffee it was time to head home but not before having a nice little chat with Tom who came across as a really nice person. He also asked us which was our favourite dish which was the hardest question of the day as they were all a delight and we couldn't reply with just one. This was definitely some of the best fish courses I've had the pleasure of tasting and I'm already looking forward to a return visit. So with the food being amazing the staff so friendly and a nice atmosphere I would highly recommend paying a visit to this restaurant I honestly believe you will not be disappointed