They say no man is an island, so it makes sense that a formidable duo is behind this ambitious concept. Michelin-starred chefs Brad Carter and Tom Brown have collided their respective nose-to-tail ethos and seafood expertise into a slightly mad ‘surf-and-turf’ inspired venture, tucked inside the Chandelier Room of Mare Street Market in King’s Cross.
The interiors are as audacious as the menu: the ceiling is littered with dozens of mismatched chandeliers, spilling warm, multicoloured light across a large, semi-industrial space that’s sprawling with greenery. A luminous half pig, half prawn mutant watches over diners - a Frankensteinian creation that hints at the experimental madness that’s set to come.
We kick things off with oysters - one smothered with molten nacho cheese, the other topped with a lamb doner sausage: fatty, spicy, and glistening in lamb fat. The beef tartare is a fantastic opener; delicately diced and laced with gherkins, it arrives crowned with oyster emulsion in place of the usual yolk. Accompanying prawn crackers have a Skips-for-grown-ups vibe. Its bold, ingenious cooking – a sign of what Carter and Brown can do together, even if the smothering of prawn cocktail powder is a tad heavy-handed.
When Island works, it really works, but not everything lands cleanly. A slab of Tamworth pork is glazed in a sweet, sticky Texas-style barbecue glaze, sliced alongside a crab coleslaw. The indulgence is there but lacks the refinement of some of the other dishes - a mashup that feels more loyal to the concept than the palate.
It’s telling that the highlight of the evening is one of few moments that steer away from the surf-and-turf theme. Monkfish with lobster bearnaise showcases some serious flavour: buttery, luxurious, and dripping in a bone sauce so good that we find ourselves shamelessly mopping it up. The surf-style roasties - there's a turf option too - are equally excellent. Cooked until they’re gloriously crisp and golden, and doused in dried mussel, Tajin and lemon, they make us wonder why we bother with any other version.
It’s a strange move, perhaps, to build a restaurant that alienates a large amount of the population (vegetarians, beware). But Island doesn’t play it safe. It’s a bold, slightly chaotic concept, perhaps one thought up in a moment of madness. Whilst it doesn’t always hit the mark, when it does, there's brilliance, even if it’s completely bonkers.