The mol-ecule of the title compound, C16H13BrO3, is built of two approximately planar fragments, viz. 3-bromo-benzoate [maximum deviation = 0.055 (2) Å and 2-oxo-2-p-tolyl-ethyl [maximum deviation = 0.042 (2) Å], inclined by 46.51 (7)°. In the crystal, weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and Br⋯Br contacts [3.6491 (7) Å] connect the mol-ecules into infinite layers parallel to (-221).