This Michelin star chef just quietly closed his Shoreditch restaurant

Chef Tom Brown has had a big few years. After the huge success of his Michelin-starred Hackney seafood restaurant Cornerstone (which shuttered for good in 2024), the kitchen maestro went on to open oyster joint Pearly Queen in 2023, followed by his eponymous restaurant at The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge in April 2025. Shortly after in July, Brown opened Island at Mare Street Market Kings Cross. 

It has now come to our attention that Brown’s popular Shoreditch spot Pearly Queen appears to have served its last oyster. 

Upon its opening in 2023, Time Out gave Pearly Queen three stars. Critic Joe Bishop loved it for its many iterations of oysters (which came with a hint of lime, paired with champagne jelly and slathered in hot sauce), but overall thought the joint ‘lacked punch’. 

Now it seems that the restaurant has quietly closed its doors. The Pearly Queen website is no longer operational, while calling its phone line receives no answer, and its listing on Open Table says ‘permanently closed’. The restaurant has not posted on its social media accounts since July 2025. 

With no official announcement from Brown or the restaurant, the reason for Pearly Queen’s apparent closure remains a mystery. 

London foodies, don’t fret, because you can still get your chops around Brown’s oysters at Island, which we recently gave four stars. 

Three new bakeries and cafes are opening in Covent Garden this autumn. 

Mare Street Market is getting a grand relaunch.