Brad Carter was initially coming into London to open at Undercroft (which, in a surprise twist, was taken over by Aldo Zilli before opening). Now the chef, best known for Carters of Moseley in Birmingham (currently looking for a new location), is making a second attempt at breaking into the capital with a restaurant inside Mare Street Market in King's Cross.
For the new restaurant Island, he's teaming up with another chef, Tom Brown, who himself has just opened his own eponymous restaurant at The Capital. The pair are taking over The Chandelier room inside Mare Street Market, and the chefs are playing to their strengths for this surf & turf affair. Brown is best known for his seafood so he'll manage that side while Carter will be taking a nose-to-tail approach on rare-breed meats.
All that will result in a menu of meat and seafood pairings, which includes:
- Oyster Caesar salad
- Meat and seafood charcuterie such as trout pastrami or monkfish cheek ham and lardo
- Quail stuffed with prawn paella
They'll also have a signature island mixed grill (details of what's in that TBC) along with lobster rolls, oysters and a special Sunday roast. As for puddings, they include an oyster ice cream sandwich. We tried a work-in-progress version of the oyster ice cream with dining at Tom Brown's Knightsbridge restaurant and that definitely has potential. If it sounds a bit much, there's a more down-to-earth chocolate fudge cake.
It was a shame that Carter's last restaurant didn't open, but this new venture with Tom Brown sounds pretty unique and should also shine a brighter light on Mare Street Market's King's Cross venture. One to watch, then.
More about Island
Where is it? Mare Street Market, Kings Cross, Lewis Cubitt Square, London N1C 4DY
When does it open? June 2025
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @island_london.
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