Chef Tom Brown is to close his highly rated restaurant Cornerstone in Hackney Wick, citing rising costs and diners’ changing preferences. Instead, he will focus on Pearly Queen, the more relaxed fish restaurant he opened in Shoreditch last November.

Launched in 2018, Cornerstone is one of the most lauded restaurants of the past decade and is rated London’s number one seafood restaurant in this year’s Harden’s guide. It is also placed at number four overall among restaurants charging less than £100 a head for a meal in the capital, with diners hailing Tom’s “single-minded passion for fish and seafood” and his “inspired” cooking.

Earlier this year, Tom indicated that he was looking to move Cornerstone into larger premises, but he has apparently had a change of heart. No final date has been announced for the closure.

He said: “Cornerstone has been my proudest moment, and it still fills my heart with pride to reflect on what it represents for me, the people who have worked here, and those we have had the pleasure of serving. As well as being my home for the last six years, it has been a place where I have had the privilege of working with some of London’s greatest talent, including James Toth and Kelly Cullen. Now, I’m excited about the future of Pearly Queen and what we’re doing there and exploring new projects in the future too.”

Tom grew up in Cornwall and first came to prominence working for his mentor, Nathan Outlaw, first in Cornwall and then at the Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge.