Browns Maddox Street

Going to Brown’s used to be like popping home to your mum for supper – no surprises on your plate, & you always knew you’d be looked after. These days, it’s more of a gamble. Readers complain that the experience is let down by service, which can take ‘an age’ – especially as thinly spread staff are usually rushed off their feet. The cooking is also unpredictable, ‘more miss than hit’ says one diner, while others rate it as merely ‘average’. That’s a shame, because when Brown’s is on form, the mix of comfortable old-school surrounds & a Brit-meets-Med menu can work well. Try your luck with a plate of oysters followed by shepherd’s pie, or go for something sunnier – slow-roasted peppers ahead of prawn & chorizo linguine, say. Cocktails are often a good shout, with decent bloody Marys at the weekend, & midweek martinis on special offer at some branches.