Hackney Wick isn't exactly known for its food offering, but if anyone can change that, it's Tom Brown. Formerly head chef of Outlaw's at The Capital and right-hand man to Nathan Outlaw himself, Tom decided to strike out on his own at the beginning of 2018 and set up his first solo venture. The result is Cornerstone – a gorgeous, airy restaurant, where Tom exercises his creative genius and signature Cornish light touch, serving fresh, pared-back small plates. It won a Michelin star in 2021.

Walk in through the doors and it's impossible not to notice the sleek, minimalist kitchen in the centre of the room. Light pours in through the glass front, giving the whole room a light-hearted bistro feel. There are eleven stools around the kitchen counter for those who want to see Tom cooking up close and personal, and space for another thirty-five guests on elegant tables around the outside.

Though he’s built a reputation off the back of deft fish and seafood cooking, Tom’s cookery is far more rounded and accomplished than that. He displayed his impressive talent on last year’s Great British Menu, winning the South West heats to make the final of the competition. There’s still a clear emphasis on fish and seafood at Cornerstone – a hallmark of his career to date, and time spent with the likes of Nathan Outlaw and Paul Ripley at Rick Stein's Seafood Bar. Dishes like pickled oyster, celery and horseradish, smoked haddock with leek, rarebit tart and pickled walnuts, and roast cod with Café de Paris hollandaise all hark back to his Outlaw days – but there are other land-based dishes that capture the imagination. Chicken liver croquettes with devilled mayonnaise are a simple but effective pleasure, and the duck leg scrumpet with chicory ketchup, orange and smoked almonds is a perfect example of Tom’s burgeoning creativity and touch. The emphasis here is on fresh British produce above all else – as soon as something new and fresh becomes available, it goes on the menu.

The thoughtful touches that are evident in the menu are reflected all over the restaurant too. The wine list is compact and well-focused, with an emphasis on natural and biodynamic wines. The cocktail menu features Cornerstone’s homemade infusions, and inventive cocktails like ‘Fireside’ – made with Quiquiriqui mezcal, vine leaf syrup, egg whites and lemon and ‘One For The Road’ – a tangy mix of blood orange, red vermouth, Dewar’s twelve-year-old scotch and cherry. It’s clear from the outset that Tom’s solo debut means a lot to him. He has said that the goal is for Cornerstone to put Hackney Wick on the London food map, perhaps in the way that Rick Stein once did in Padstow. Judging by his efforts so far, he’s on the right track.