Left to right, armoured car, followed by tank and thirdly, happy yellow triangle with sunglasses. Then the military procession continues with a fortified vehicle. . This is the district where Cornerstone has decided to make its home, an exciting part of town. With the barb wire and spikes on walls, it would prove to be an exhilarating place at night when it was dark and cold. Good thing I decided to visit on a Saturday lunch then.
Exceptional! It’s hard to say when I am positively surprised when people already raved about this place for a long time. There’s a big hint of Asian flavours and seafood heavy lush ingredients with a big punch but well balanced flavours. For a Michelin starred place the portions are very generous. Great wine pairings and vibrant atmosphere. Highly recommend and will go back soon.
Exceptional seafood experience! 5 Stars!
We have wanted to visit this restaurant for ages and it didn't disappoint. We sat at the counter and watched the chefs who were incredibly professional and great to watch.
We opted for the chefs selection which is £80 per head and lots of food. Stand out dishes were the Pickled Oysters, Cured Gurnard XO Crab Bun and Hake Kiev with Lobster Butter. We were also served delicious bread with crab butter and fantastic cocktails.
Great cocktails and wine selection. Great service and a cool vibe. Highly recommend.
Tried the chef special menu (aka tasting menu) and it was incredible. Each dish has its own character, flavour profile and very nice presentation. The crab infused butter and crab oil with balsamic vinegar tip for the bread was so good, probably didn't need that trout to go with the bread. The highlight for me was the tuna tartar with egg yolk and yuzu dressing, and the crab bun was very nice too, but I think the Hoisin sauce is not needed. The Hake Kiev was a very nice surprise, tasted exactly like a chicken Kiev but with fish. The cocktails were great too, who'd have thought adding a bit of olive oil would make such a nice difference!
August installation of my celebrations took us to Cornerstone by chef Tom Brown, a finalist on Great British Menu 2018, down in Hackney Wick.
As a native of Cornwall, Tom offers a seafood menu in a relax and casual atmosphere.
We opted for the Chefs Selection with pairings, and simply WOW. This is clearly in our top 2 so far this year.
If you are a fan of seafood, it’s worth a trip to Hackney Wick.
Well done team Cornerstone, we will be back
Cornerstone presented the most inventive and delicious seafood I’ve ever had!
What a wonderful, creative take on cuisine.
Our server was immensely knowledgeable and walked us through what could be considered a bit intimidating menu.
Once we were educated, the real fun began.
We loved the vibe, the intense flavor combinations and general energy of the restaurant.
Unfortunately, as the evening wore on, our server suddenly disappeared, and was replaced with someone else, the attention to detail was lost, and as the staff began to close down for the evening, we found ourselves nestled in one side of the restaurant, while the other was stacked with chairs on tables as the staff huddled in the center of the restaurant, ready to go home.
My friend and I are big seafood lovers so when we saw the menu we made a reservation right away. I like how the kitchen is located at the centre of the restaurant and is open so we can see how the food is prepared. We didn't go for the tasting menu so picked out a few dishes we wanted to try. In general the food is really nice but I think the seasoning / sauce is a bit on the salty side. Our favourite fish is definitely the hake kyiv and I would recommend that definitely.
I’ve been meaning to try this place for a while. Food was really lovely but the chefs tasting menu was light compared to others I’ve had. It’s the first time I’ve walked away from a degustation a tad hungry. Perhaps it would be nice to have some more plates individually rather than shared. Waiters were lovely but the service was too fast, clearing away plates before my mother had finished etc. Usually Michelin restaurants are a little more delicate and slower paced.
Gabriela Stripoli Mendes
+5
We decided not to go for the tasting menu for my bday because we wanted to mix and match less options and still - so good. The negroni was a nice touch as well. It deserves the hype.
Very good dining experience overall. The decoration is bright and modern，the space is specious and love the high ceiling and open kitchen. Dishes are creative and tasty. The only reason I can not come more often is too far from central.
A wonderful place! Tucked into a corner of Hackney Wick, very subtle, elegant frontage reveals an oasis of calm inside. The staff are superb: helpful, attentive without being claustrophobic, and explaining how to navigate the menu (particularly useful for our "one of us can't eat shellfish and, yes, we chose the seafood restaurant" party!) The central, open kitchen is remarkably quiet but fascinating to watch. The food was, without exception, exquisite, each dish accompanied by a cheerful and informative back-story. The flavours are bold and so moreish, and I left more than a little in love with fish cookery! Not cheap, but we left feeling that we had spent well and had a very special meal indeed.
My kind of place for a treat. Relaxed atmosphere, top notch food, an open kitchen and attentive service. We had the set menu and every plate we had was delicious: well cooked, thoughtful and inventive. Standout for me was the Gurnard, others in the party loved the oysters, and we were all pleasantly surprised by the dessert (a rhubarb number) that was a delight. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
The seafood is some of the best I've ever had and the dishes are inventive and unusual but you don't feel like you're being experimented on.
I've visited twice and both times every single dish was delicious. The pickled oyster and kiev were the standout dishes. We had the tasting menu both times and left feeling full which often isn't the case with tasting menus.
The wine pairings are excellent and the team really understand the wines and explain them in great detail.
It is a relatively expensive meal, but in London you can easily spend the same amount at restaurants which aren't half as good at Cornerstone.
Went here for birthday dinner and was a triumph! Wonderful tasting menu, from the crab oil with the starter bread to the biscuits with the bill.
Particular highlight was the Kiev (secret is to deep-fry anything and fill it with butter….).
Service was friendly and atmosphere really chilled.
Thoroughly recommend.
Victoria Sanchez Ballerio
+5
We loved this place! Because I am pregnant I asked them to change a few bits of the menu and they were so kind to adjust to what I wanted and provided delicious alternatives like the cooked scallop.
My husband loved the oysters and he doesn’t even like oysters usually!
My favourite was the hake Kiev.
The staff are lovely. Highly recommend.
Second time visiting this jam in East London! Vibrant, beautiful, amazing food prepared with lots of love and paired with amazing selection of brilliant wines. Best fish restaurant I have been to in the UK. Special thanks to chef James and the sommelier to make this occasion special as one of my mates is moving from London to Italy! Keep up the great spirits and vibes, I will be back.
I have no words. This was great. The staff was great. The food was fantastic. It's such a nice and relaxed atmosphere and it's honestly just too good. We had the tasting menu and it was just an incredible experience. The plates were little works of art.
Do you want to know the best way to have a great dining experience at Cornerstone? Book a table for 4 so you can share the whole menu with your friends 😋 we have done that last week and we had a phenomenal evening. The stand out dishes for me would be the Cured Gurnard, Mussel Pate, Cuttlefish "Cacio and Pape" and Hake Kyiv!! The Seabream tartare with egg yolk and soy, so much flavour in a bowl. The Crab Bun with Fennel Kimchi and Gooseberry Hoisin was class and very indulgent. The Cheesecake was absolutely divine 😋
Service was great, big thank you to Oleh and the chefs!! Highly recommended!!!
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