Browns Brasserie & Bar London

Immersive horseshoe dining booth maximizing intimacy.

Instilling the true essence of Englishness of an iconic brand throughout the restaurant & bar

#Browns
#London
#Selected
#UK
#hospitality
#restaurants


Design Clarity is responsible for the refresh and design reinvigoration of Mitchells & Butlers’ ‘crown jewel’ brand – Browns. To Mitchells & Butlers, Browns is their most treasured and important F&B brand and there are plans for our new fresh-eyed concept design thinking to be applied to all their existing drinking and dining premises across the UK.

Approaching the project strategically, Design Clarity understood the new brand positioning of ‘The English Brasserie’, researched the market and profiled existing and target customers. Old Jewry, in the conservation area of the City of London was used as a test site for the new design, followed by West India Quay – both sites in complex heritage buildings in London. Browns design work is now underway for new and remodel sites in Bath, Bristol, Nottingham, Glasgow, Cambridge, Windsor and Leeds.

The design encompasses the classically ‘English Brasserie’ look and feel, delivering a more efficient layout to accommodate varied table sizes and occasions. We worked hard to ensure the new Browns was one which took all the best parts if the existing design, improved efficiencies in operation and modernised the brand identity through more luxury furniture and finishes. This new concept draws on a number of collaborations including a bespoke wallpaper designed for the brand by renowned Scottish design duo Timorous Beasties.

Design Clarity has created a completely modern ‘grounded grandeur’ concept true to the brief for a client craving a cocktail of ideas; a design refresh that is considered, elegant and quintessentially British.

Our solution partners were Inside Out Contracts for the furniture and Timorous Beasties for the bespoke wallpaper

 

The dramatic double-height volume exposes the building's rich architectural history while introducing a contemporary hospitality layout. By pairing massive original structural timbers with highly polished metal fixtures, the design team creates a striking visual dialogue. This strategy celebrates the site's rugged industrial character within a luxurious brasserie context.

Multi-level spatial layering integrating raw historical elements.
Grand traditional island counter with detailed perimeter tiling.

A sweeping mahogany island counter anchors the main lounge floor, establishing a grand, high-energy centerpiece that recalls classic European brasseries. The curved timber facade projects a sense of permanent, grounded luxury right at the heart of the layout. This central positioning creates a natural, fluid track for social mingling and efficient bar service.

Sophisticated dining perimeter featuring grand-scale illustrative panels.

The primary dining room harnesses grand-scale vertical detailing to enhance the architectural volume of a soaring heritage interior. By framing bespoke illustrative wallpaper panels alongside vast mirrored surfaces, the composition dramatically multiplies ambient light and depth. This strategic layering creates a theatrical backdrop that elevates everyday dining into a memorable event.

An elevated vantage point from the grand staircase illustrates how the split-level architecture seamlessly zones the vast hospitality floor. The design orchestrates a clear visual narrative, connecting private dining pockets with high-energy communal thoroughfares. This strategic vertical layering maximizes spatial efficiency while maintaining clear sightlines across the expansive layout.

Dynamic overhead perspective detailing structural flow and spatial zoning.
Exclusive dining space pairing bold geometry with deep color.

An intimate private dining room shifts away from the grand scale of the main hall to offer a secluded, residential-style sanctuary. By lowering the ceiling height and embracing an enveloping, high-contrast palette, the layout fosters a sense of exclusive warmth. This spatial strategy shifts the focus toward celebration, client privacy, and focused conversation.

Atmospheric subterranean drinking zone celebrating structural textures.

The lower ground level fully embraces its subterranean setting by exposing raw structural elements to create an atmospheric, intimate drinking lounge. Low ceilings and heavy overhead timber joints shift the spatial rhythm away from the grand upstairs dining room. This material approach delivers a cozy, speakeasy-style sanctuary tucked beneath the city streets.