Review: Brown’s Brasserie, Milton Keynes
Brown’s Brasserie is a restaurant and bar that can be found in The Hub on Midsummer Boulevard right in the heart of Milton Keynes. With jewel-toned seats, dark wood tables, and golden accents, Brown’s has a decidedly art deco-inspired look while still feeling modern and fresh. It’s the perfect space for a nice meal out with a bit of ambiance, be it brunch with the girls or a special date night.
I visited Brown’s with Community Manager, Charlotte Moyle, on the 14th of October, as a PR invite to their re-launch party showing off the major refurbishment project they undertook this year.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere of Brown’s Brasserie is luxurious and elegant, and even a bit swanky. I had never visited the restaurant before the refurb so can’t compare it to the old atmosphere, but I was in awe from the moment I walked through the door.
The color scheme is dramatic, the velvet seating is decadent, and all the little touches make it feel like you’ve stepped into a really cool jazz bar from a different era. There was a live singer performing at a baby grand piano for the evening, which only added to the jazz bar vibes and would be a real attraction for me if they had regular live music nights.
There were several servers that seemed quite new to the role. When asked, they were not sure about what major allergens were present in the various hors d’oeuvres they were offering. As someone with severe lactose intolerance, this left me unable to eat quite a few of the offerings. One server however went above and beyond, even sourcing me my own dessert when she found out I couldn’t eat anything on the set menu of nibbly desserts.
The Menu
Brown’s menu features refined British food with a hint of European inspiration. For this event they opted to serve several hours of canapes in lieu of the option to sample some of their new or popular starters, mains and desserts in full. Most of the canapes did seem to have a direct analogue to a starter, main, or dessert on their menu.
On the night of the event I was only offered one vegan canape to try, though there were several canapes that never made it to our table. While the meat-free offerings at Brown’s may be quite limited, you can find at least one vegan and vegetarian option in each section of their à la carte menu. Asparagus and butternut curry and a supergreen and grain salad are both solid vegan choices for a main, and their baked camembert would be a lovely vegetarian starter to share.
That being said, the only vegan dessert on Brown’s menu was one of the best things I ate that night. It’s listed on the menu as “Poached Fresh Pineapple in Spiced Rum & Vanilla” and as a whole dessert it also comes with coconut sorbet and fresh lime, though I only had the pineapple. The server also brought out a gluten free brownie that I ate under the impression it was dairy free, but it is not clear on their allergen menu if it actually is or not (it’s listed with ice cream, so difficult to tell which bit the milk allergen applies to).
You’d hope a restaurant/bar that has clearly taken design cues from the jazz bars of the Roaring Twenties would have a good drinks menu, and Brown’s Brasserie does not disappoint. They have a great mix of classic cocktails, some with a bit of a Brown’s twist, an extensive wine list, a few low/no alcohol cocktails, and even their own sodas! Next time, I would love to try their Lychee and Raspberry soda.
Our Order
Between me and Charlotte, I think we tried every drink offered that night. My favorite was definitely Brown’s Old Fashioned. Woodford Reserve is a gorgeous bourbon, and the cocktail was mixed perfectly. If you like sweet and a bit smoky, this drink is for you. I also had a raspberry bellini and the sharpness of the raspberry was a really refreshing take on a drink that can often be very sweet with the standard peach nectar.
Unfortunately, I was only able to try a few of the canapes as a lot of them were cheesy or otherwise dairy-based. What I did have was very tasty and made me want to return for a full meal when I know my dietary requirements will be better catered to. The absolute star of the show for me was the crispy pork belly which was unreal. Crispy yet tender, it was super flavourful and melted in the mouth. This is a meal I want to return for, if only to get to have more than a single bite of the gorgeous pork belly.
I was also able to try the chicken satay sticks. They were tasty, crunchy, and still tender, so I enjoyed the bites I had. But they were not anything special, so I’d be inclined to try a different starter when I visit next. My one major disappointment of the night was that I didn’t try the crispy squid and aioli. The server wasn’t sure if there was any dairy in it (squid is often marinated in milk), so told me to avoid it. A quick check of the allergen menu when I got home however revealed that the dish is indeed dairy-free! That is the starter I’d like to try upon my return because right now it’s the one that got away…
Allergies
Brown’s Brasserie Milton Keynes has an allergy menu that can be easily accessed on their website. As they list the allergens for the whole meal and not individual items it can be a bit of a quagmire to wade through, but the kitchen was happy to inform the servers what I could and could not have when they asked (i.e. I could eat the pork belly but the sauce to dip it in was a no-go). They have also achieved accreditation from Coeliac UK for their Gluten Free menu, so you can also be assured of the integrity of the gluten free dishes on the Browns menu.
Knowing they have such high standards for their gluten free dishes put me more at ease going into the event, though I was not very impressed at the lack of thought regarding dietary requirements that went into the canapes for the evening. But the help of several servers and the kitchen staff left me feeling that it was more of a symptom of first night jitters and less indicative of the restaurant’s standard of care. Now that Brown’s has been open for a few weeks I’d gladly return to give them another chance and see if they deserve the benefit of the doubt.
City Girl Rating:
★★★
1 for atmosphere, 1 for food/drink, 1 for value for money
Written by Jessica Nelson
DISCLAIMER: We were invited to the launch party as part of MK Girl. Brown’s provided us free food and drinks but we were under no obligation to post about the event.
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