A trendy, upmarket boutique hotel in central London isn’t the sort of place you’d expect to find yourself served a pigeon kebab, and yet with its delicate flavour and artful presentation that sees the gamey meat coated with a house-made harissa and served on a skewer atop a pillowy flatbread with beetroot hummus, it feels like a perfect setting that epitomises the spirit of Native and its two founders.
The kebab itself has been a mainstay of the Native menu since Tisdall-Downes and Davis first launched the restaurant as a street food stall in 2015. It’s a playful dish that effortlessly underscores Native’s mantra of making sustainable-conscious food accessible.
Native at Browns draws upon a wealth of produce sent to the restaurant direct from farms surrounding London by teaming up with Shrub Provisions, with the aim of minimising the amount of delivery vehicles coming into London. Tisdall-Downes and Davis, the former leading the kitchen having previously cooked at The River Cottage and Dan Barber’s Blue Hill Farm at Stone Barns in New York, can constantly be found in their downtime scouring the country for foraged herbs, vegetables and seaweeds. Championing seasonal produce and ethical dining with a menu of small plates, natural wines and foraged cocktails, the pair let the land, sea, forest and farm dictate their rotation of delicate dishes.
Brought to life by London-based architecture and design studio Red Deer, the restaurant space embodies an artisanal, handmade spirit throughout and celebrates traditional craftsmanship. A ‘secret’ courtyard, meanwhile, which features its own ‘garden bites menu’, offers an idyllic retreat from the hustle and bustle of central London.
