Brawn

Brawn has matured like the street on which it stands. Once a pig-focused pioneer in the hipster hangout of Columbia Road, it's now a long-standing institution, catering to professionals of this coveted London postcode. To step inside, however, is to find a place still young at heart – old school hip-hop blurts out of vintage speakers, a forest of empty wine bottles adorns the whitewashed walls, mid-century chairs clatter about a dining room that’s packed even in the midweek doldrums. The menu rotates almost as quickly as the vinyl records here, but there are classics at the heart of things: among them Parmesan fritters – little crispy balls of white-hot cheese, lost under a heavy snowfall of Parmesan shavings. The kitchen is adept at stylish presentation: notably in a delicious starter of crab amid thickets of agretti and blood orange. By contraast, meaty mains on our visit had a bias towards the rustic: braised rabbit agnolotti with rosemary or veal blanquette with wild mushrooms, perhaps. A highlight was a hefty Barnsley chop, served alongside crispy torpedo-like pink fir potatoes and the tang of anchoaïde. Desserts might include a much-loved vanilla panna cotta happily sozzled in Campari – although a sight to behold on our visit was a tall, teetering stack of rhubarb and custard mille-feuille. An expansive wine list goes big on French and skin-contact offerings. 'Very cool, but not pretentious,' is one verdict.

Brawn started off life as a pig and natural wine-focused restaurant in a somewhat edgy location on Bethnal Green's Columbia Road. In the years since, both the restaurant and the location have morphed into something much less hipster and much more inviting. The bright, bijou front dining room hasn't changed much in this time, and neither has the restaurant's focus on understated but brilliant cooking, but over the years chef-patron Ed Wilson has lightened his touch and broadened the restaurant's scope so there is a more Mediterranean feel to its food. The British and European focused menu is divided neatly into snacks, starters, mains, and dessert and Wilson has a knack of ensuring that practically every dish jumps off the page. The menu reads like it has been written by someone who genuinely loves eating food - as opposed to just cooking it - with no obvious big hitters vying for attention. You will want to eat everything. With Brawn, Wilson and his wife Josie Stead have created what must be a near perfect neighbourhood restaurant – brilliant food served in bright and convivial surroundings by friendly, engaged staff. The room has a worn but loved feel, like a comfy pair of slippers you can't wait to sink into.