Dining Out - Highland Flavour Meets Mayfair Style: Tom Kitchin at Brown’s Hotel

Tom Kitchin Brings Scotland’s Bounty to Brown’s Hotel: An Elevated Dining Experience at The Donovan Bar

There’s a certain alchemy at play at The Donovan Bar in Brown’s Hotel this season — a collaboration that pairs the culinary craftsmanship of Tom Kitchin with the cocktail wizardry of Salvatore Calabrese and Federico Pavan. Until May 25th, Mayfair’s discerning crowd can indulge in a residency that distils the essence of Scotland’s rugged landscapes into an impeccable small plates and cocktail pairing menu, all under the polished chandeliers of one of London’s most iconic hotels.

For The Rakish Gent, a magazine as much about the art of living well as it is about fashion, this is precisely the kind of dining experience that should be on the radar of our readers. Refined, intimate, and thoroughly enjoyable, it’s a chance to immerse yourself in Kitchin’s celebrated ‘From Nature to Plate’ philosophy — without boarding the Caledonian Sleeper to Edinburgh.

Tom Kitchin, whose Edinburgh restaurant The Kitchin holds a Michelin star, has long been a champion of Scotland’s natural larder. His cooking is an expression of place: wild, pure, and respectfully handled. At Brown’s, he brings that same ethos to a compact but masterfully curated menu, with each dish reflecting his reverence for provenance and seasonality.

“Freshness is everything to me,” Kitchin tells us. “We work with independent businesses that are just as passionate about food as we are. It’s about respecting the produce and creating experiences that connect people with nature.”

The result is a menu that feels deeply personal yet universally appealing. The opening act, Mull Cheddar cheese straws (£8), is a nod to Scotland’s rich dairy heritage. Flaky, buttery, and indulgent, they’re the perfect way to start the journey — especially when paired with the Gran Torino (£26), a smoky, warming blend of Glen Grant 12 Year Old, Mancino Rosso Amaranto, Campari, Grand Marnier Louis Alexandre, and ginger foam. A cocktail that feels like it belongs beside a roaring Highland fire.

If there’s one dish that defines the residency, it’s the Highland Wagyu beef tartare (£25). Hand-cut and melt-in-the-mouth, it’s crowned with a decadent spoonful of Petrossian Daurenki Tsar Imperial Caviar — a luxurious flourish that elevates this classic dish to the realm of the sublime. The tartare is served with crispy kale chips for texture, and it finds its perfect match in the 101 Reasons cocktail (£26). With Roku Gin, Campari, Fernet-Branca, and peach, it’s a bright yet complex companion to the richness of the Wagyu.

Almost equally essential is the Ramsay’s of Carluke haggis, neeps & tatties (£8). Comforting and nostalgic, this dish is Scotland on a plate — earthy, peppery, and soul-warming. Here, it’s reimagined as elegant bon bons, served with the Seven Apples (£26), an inspired blend of Hine Cognac VSOP, Dupont Calvados, aquavit, and apple cider. The interplay between the spiced depth of the haggis and the crisp, orchard notes of the drink is nothing short of revelatory.

Seafood lovers should make haste for the Loch Creran oysters (£15). Hand-harvested from Scotland’s west coast, these briny delights are dressed with Highland Park whisky vinegar, lending them a subtle smoky depth. The pairing — Silent Pearl (£26), a clever mix of No.3 Gin, Grey Goose Vodka, Mancino Sakura, samphire, and soya — amplifies the maritime flavours in a way that feels both inventive and deeply satisfying.

The Welch’s smoked salmon mousse (£18), served atop granny’s oatcake, is a celebration of Scotland’s cold, clear waters and generations of smoking expertise. Paired with Little Red (£26), a cocktail woven from Uncle Nearest 1884 whiskey, Macallan 12 Years, Amaro Lucano, and a hint of nettle and strawberry, it’s a dish that balances smoky richness with delicate sweetness.

For the indecisive (or the simply ravenous), we recommend opting for the tasting flight. At £70 for one or £90 for two, it’s an accessible way to experience the full sweep of Kitchin’s menu — and well worth it.

Of course, no experience at The Donovan Bar would be complete without the signature flair of Maestro Salvatore Calabrese and Federico Pavan. Their Happily Ever After menu reads like a collection of grown-up fairy tales, each drink rooted in whimsy and craft.

From Head in the Clouds, a Jack and the Beanstalk-inspired concoction, to Midnight Scandal, a Cinderella homage served in an elegant glass slipper, there’s an irrepressible playfulness to the drinks programme. Yet behind the theatre lies technical brilliance — each cocktail precisely engineered to complement Kitchin’s dishes.

It’s worth noting that the cocktails here are not mere accompaniments; they are equal partners in the experience. Calabrese’s talent for layering flavour is the perfect foil to Kitchin’s culinary precision.

The Donovan Bar, named after the iconic photographer Terence Donovan, is a suitably stylish setting for this collaboration. With plush velvet seating, moody lighting, and walls lined with Donovan’s provocative black-and-white portraits, it captures that elusive balance of Mayfair glamour and understated cool.

It is, quite simply, the sort of place where The Rakish Gent reader will feel immediately at home. Whether you’re seated at the bar — prime position for witnessing the alchemy of Calabrese and Pavan — or tucked into a discreet corner for an intimate rendezvous, the ambiance enhances every sip and bite.

Tom Kitchin’s residency at Brown’s Hotel is far more than a pop-up; it is a genuine dialogue between food and drink, tradition and innovation, Scotland and Mayfair. For those seeking an experience that feels both grounded in place and elevated in execution, this is an unmissable occasion.

There’s an emotional thread running through Kitchin’s menu — a respect for heritage, a love of storytelling through ingredients, and a quiet confidence that allows the produce to shine. As Kitchin himself says, “Food is a powerful thing. It brings people together.”

For The Rakish Gent, always in pursuit of the next exceptional experience, this is a culinary journey worth taking. Book a table, raise a glass, and let Tom Kitchin — and Scotland’s wild larder — do the rest.

From £70 for the full menu. The Donovan Bar, 33 Albemarle St, London W1S 4BP