REVIEW: Browns Bar and Brasserie, Bluewater

The restaurant can be found in the corner of the shopping centre’s newly opened plaza on the ground floor.

Despite having only been open a matter of weeks, Browns was full of customers. I went along on a weeknight with my boyfriend, Dan, to see what was on offer.

We were greeted at the entrance and shown to our seats immediately.

The restaurant is bigger than expected with a bar situated in the middle of the room and the kitchen along the back wall.

A giant clock hangs from the ceiling and black and white pictures adorn the walls.

The atmosphere provides a delightful buzz with the low murmur of people talking and music playing in the background.

Browns opened in 1973. As well as evening meals, the restaurant offers breakfast and brunch until noon, a lunchtime menu, afternoon tea from 2.30pm and a children’s menu.

We visited the restaurant for dinner so went a la carte. Divided into sections the menu begins with aperitifs and appetisers, ranging from marinated olives (£2.95) and Browns Champagne cocktail (£7.95) to a meat or fish platter (£14.95).

There is also a wide range of starters to choose from including soup of the day (£4.95) and pan seared scallops (£8.95).

I opted for the prawns, crab and avocado stack (£7.95) while Dan chose the classic Caesar salad (£4.95).

My dish looked impressive and was fresh with a mild spice while Dan’s less adventurous salad was still tasty.

Main dishes are divided into two sections - Fish, Pasta, salad and vegetarian or Browns classics and grill, which included a wild boar and chorizo burger.

I went for the 8oz rump steak (£13.95) and Dan picked the Browns Burger (£10.95), which came with two small pots containing cooked onions and salad.

Both were big portions accompanied with chips. I chose the steak to be cooked medium and it was perfect.

Despite being pretty full we couldn’t resist trying something from the pudding menu.

I had the New York Style Cheesecake (£5.45) with a compote of red cherries (50p) while Dan had the chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream (£5.95). Both tasted amazing and are definitely worth a try.

All of the dishes were served quickly and our meal was made even more enjoyable by our friendly waitress, Hannah.

Browns has a nice atmosphere and excellent food without breaking the bank. I would definitely recommend making a reservation as both the restaurant and the bar were busy.

For more information or to make a reservation, call 01322 422880 or visit browns-restaurants.co.uk/locations/Bluewater