Tom Aikens

Being a big fan of Tom’s Kitchen, I was delighted when I saw the wood tables and new décor at the new Tom Aikens restaurant. I assumed they were going to offer an upmarket Tom’s Kitchen menu, Kobe steak and chips maybe, Lobster and chips - that’s what the décor demanded and I was hoping. Wrong! – it is essentially the same format as before – suburb food , but not what I want anymore.

I can’t see the point of the refurbishment.

Service was spot on, delightful, and the petits fours are a sensation! but I think I’ll stick to the Kitchen, they do a fab burger!
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Bill Portlock
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Monday, January 16, 2012

Mixed bag for me. The service was good, The selections of breads were beautifully presented, with the bacon and onion brioche being outstanding.

My Foie Gras was very good as one one of my friend chees gazpacho.

The disappointments were the main course. My John Dory was tepid, slightly undercooked and a very bland dish. I have had much better in a gastropub. .

Our desserts were another mixed bag, but mostly very good.

So overall, interesting, but let down by the main courses.
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Simon Charles
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Sunday, June 19, 2011

I visited Tom Aikens with my wife for my birthday last week. The service was attentive, courteous and friendly on the whole. I wouldn't describe it as 'above and beyond', but certainly what you would expect for a Michelin starred restaurant in this price bracket. The restaurant itself also looked stylish (if a little understated) and we were seated by the window which was particularly pleasant on a summer's evening. In terms of presentation, the dishes on offer were world class. Lots of splashes and dots and twizzels; if these plates were on show in the Tate Modern, they'd fit in comfortably with the other works of art. The problem is that much of the food was so horrendously bland!

To start, I ordered the Foie Gras with pickled mushrooms, which was ok but for £25 was no better than I eaten elsewhere for a great deal cheaper. The mushrooms were the nicest part of the dish but the foie gras really needed some bread or something to spread it on as it was far too rich to eat on its own. My wife's entrée of lamb was virtually tasteless, and was served with various accompaniments (cheese, anchovy and olive crumbs) each of which were mildly unpleasant and none of which complimented the lamb. I had the 'short rib of braised beef', which actually tasted very nice, although the accompanying bone marrow (tasteless), herb puree (horrible) and roast onion (pointless) did nothing to add to the dish.

As for dessert, we ordered a 'chocolate dacquoise', which contained an array of tasteless combinations, including an insignificant thin 'line' of chocolate mouse, a selection of powders (which I believe were supposed to be peanut and chocolate) and some completely bland 'milk' ice-cream. I was completely amazed that in a restaurant we were so excited to visit, there was not one dish that either of us liked as a whole. For around £100 a head - my recommendation would be to go elsewhere, as this restaurant is truly overrated.
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Willis Lee
4 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Thursday, June 02, 2011

Recently booked a table for two at Tom Aikens in Kensington, everything except the food was excellent.

My wife had suckling pig which she could not cut let alone eat, she also had three glasses of lemonade at £4.50 per glass a little excessive i think.

I had the artic char it looked delightful but was cold, i enjoyed the wine though.

Overall very disappointing.
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Alan Jones
5 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Monday, May 02, 2011

Tom Aikens Restaurant is the place to go.

We went there last night, the food was great and the atmosphere very nice for a Monday night.

The service was very helpful despite the receptionist who came to take our payment. She wasn't smiling and she didn't even bother to ask if our evening went well.
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ES
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Went for lunch on Wednesday and had the full tasting menu. Fantastic! Every dish was great, 2 of them 3* quality!

How Tom hasn't got his 2nd star is beyond me, and everybody else who's eaten there. Apart from Michelin guide obviously...

Highly recommended to anyone who wants to enjoy proper fine dining.

Service was great, very attentive but not hanging over your shoulder...10/10
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Anders
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Friday, March 04, 2011

My husband and I dined at Tom Aikens last night, our first time there, on a keynoir deal what had run back in November. We were a bit worried in the run up as reviews here, and other places, often criticise the staff so we thought they would be even more aloof with us as we were there on a special deal. We couldn't have been more wrong.

The staff were all so lovely - very friendly, not stuffy in the slightest, happy to chat away and obviously incredibly passionate about the food and wine that is served. Nothing was too much hassle - I was deciding on a dessert wine, and as I couldn't choose they brought me a (large) sample to help make up my mind. We couldn't finish the petit fours, so the waiter boxed them up and bid us adieu with the wise words that 'nothing tastes better for breakfast with your coffee than a Tom Aikens madeline'. He wasn't wrong!

The food itself was utterly sublime. We didn't have a starter as we thought they were a bit pricey, but we were glad in the end we didn't as we were utterly stuffed. For the main we had the roast suckling pig for 2; a request for my last meal if ever there was one. The pork was succulent and flavourful and was topped with an amazing piece of pork crackling. Served with a refreshing lemon and thyme mash, and we also had a side of the artichoke and iberico ham salad.

For dessert my husband had the creme brulee - lovely and flavourful with a beautiful top. I had the cheese. Oh. My. God. An enormous amount of the most amazing cheese was put front of me, with as many biscuits as I could eat.

So we're a bit annoyed with Tom Aikens as today we are shopping for the wine we had (a beautiful Cahors), ordering some suckling pig from Devon Rose, and going to the cheesemonger they use.

We will go back in a second, keynoir deal or not. An amazing dining experience. No complaints whatsoever.
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lesanco - View all reviews by this user
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, January 28, 2011

I recently had the misfortune to dine in this restaurant on a Friday night. Let me clarify before I continue. The awful experience was as a result of the appalling service and pompous nature of the staff, rather than the quality of the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant.

I dine in similar restaurants on a fairly regular basis and have never before been made to feel the way the staff at Tom Aikens restuarant made me feel. I hardly remember a thing about the food, what I do remember is how the manager proceeded to humiliate me and my partner in front of the entire restaurant.

The issue arose when the manager approached our table and informed us that a spoon had not been returned to the kitchen and he was upset and disappointed as they are very expensive. Confident that we had nothing to do with the issue (as we have no desire to go around stealing spoons) I asked the manager what he was suggesting by approaching us with that statement. He had no other response than to repeat himself, shrug his shoulders and look at us questioningly. Not clear on what he was expecting from me I repeatedly asked what he was suggesting, even once offering to be searched and have my handbag searched. By this stage I was quite upset that a lovely evening had quickly spiralled downwards into false accusations and humiliation, particularly as he had chosen to do it in front of the entire restaurant.

As we left the manager apparently found the spoon under the table and proceeded to accuse us of bending the aforementioned item of cutlery! Constantly expressing how disappointed he was as it was a very expensive spoon, he made us feel even worse.

I am disappointed to say the least.

Firstly, had he dealt with the issue more discreetly the situation might not have been as awful as it was. Secondly, when dining anywhere one should not be made to feel like a common criminal, nor scolded like a small child. Particularly when one has not done anything wrong. Thirdly, it was about a spoon. A spoon. I thought that at a restaurant of this calibre the manager would be trained on discretion and diplomacy.

I vaguely remember the food being delicious, and very clearly remember how I felt at the end of the evening. Upset, humiliated and angry.

Avoid this restaurant if you are afraid you might accidentally drop something or spill something or knock something over. If being treated like a child and being humiliated in public is your thing, then I would highly recommend this restaurant as the food is (from what I can recall) really quite good.
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3 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 4
Monday, January 24, 2011

A fabulous lunch. I arrived obscenely early on the coldest day of the year, but they were quite happy for me just to come in and thaw out for a while, read and chat to the waiter about books n stuff while I waited for my guest to arrive. This relaxed but attentive atmosphere set the tone for the rest of the afternoon (yep, we languished happily for hours). The place was by no means full, but whereas some restaurants insist on herding all their customers together into one corner of the dining room (presumably because it's easier for the staff), here we had all the space and privacy we could have wanted.

If the setting and the staff impressed without trying to impress, there was nothing self-effacing about the food. It set out to be spectacular and provided a great show. The languostine risotto was rich and gooey, the roast partridge should know that it laid down its life for a high cause, and the truffle and vanilla panacotta...hmm. In truth, I was running out of puff by the time we reached the desert but fortunately my companion has more staying power and did it full justice (not sure where she puts it all - she's only tiny). The only slightly odd bit was the John Dory with roasted cauliflower which was tasty but a bit weird and ever so slightly overcooked.

But all in all, a wonderful long and lazy afternoon. And the best bit? Well that was the company. Thank you.
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Richard
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Saturday, December 11, 2010

absolutely brilliant, relaxed, intimate , the food was sublime, pretty and the service was wonderful
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austie - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Sunday, August 15, 2010