Tom's Terrace

Hideous, odious and borderline obnoxious service! Has Tom Aikens met his employees? I truly believed that this style of service had died with food being flambeed at your table and the invite of the "sweet" trolley to finish.

Great location, but thoroughly spoilt by the surly staff. Not only are they unsmiling and scruffy (and I don't mean scruffy in a hip-indie type way, but just generally grubby looking), but sarky as well. When I politely asked that my partner's Grey Goose be replaced with a fizzy mixer, one of the managers made a big song & dance (shouting across the bar area!) about how it coudn't be flat, as he had just poured it himself. He then came over with a new vodka and diet-pepsi and said he must ring the supplier as there was obviously a problem with the bottles. The tense atmosphere caused by the staff is palpable, you are made to feel like an utter inconvenience and my partner is convinced that the waitress tutted when he asked for another knife & fork. We were hot and tired, didn't have the energy to move, otherwise we would have departed. Foul-tempered staff, Jackson 5 Can You Feel it blasting out (Grrrr!) and £4.50 for chips does not make for the best day out. Final insult to injury...service charge. They actually have the temerity to add on a tip just to make you feel like something they stepped in. No wonder the table next to us refused to pay it. Why are they still working there?
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Claudette
1 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Sunday, July 31, 2011

I took clients to dinner at Tom Aiken's Terrace Restaurant outside Somerset House last Friday night. On the basis of a recommendation of the concierge at their hotel, they had asked to go. "Fine" said I and wholly failed to do an online check of its reviews... Big mistake!

On arrival, any of its highly promoted riverside ambience was ruined by: A - A DJ playing, endlessly similar, thumping club 'sounds'. Even at the farthest point away in the 'tent', we could hardly hear ourselves speak. B - The trees that totally obliterated any view of the river and what lay beyond.

Now I've nothing against trees, I love trees. But my clients had specifically voiced their request after the concierge showed them the restaurant website. This features photographs (taken from a raised vantage point with a fisheye lens) that suggest sweeping vistas across the Thames to the South Bank and, being from abroad on a rare visit to London, that was what they wanted to see. Come Autumn it might be a different story but I believe the whole sorry 'circus' leaves town shortly. And not a moment too soon!

The utterly limited and passionless menu gave us no inspiration and the service was delivered as though the waiting team had something far better to do and that we were getting in the way of them doing it. To top off an awful dining experience that reflects very poorly on London's standing as an international gastronomic 'player', I was presented with a bill for £326.00 for four people - For burgers and chicken salads!!!

We did have two bottles of Lanson Black Label Champagne that they 'had the frontage' to charge £55 for - but add another 12% service charge and they really are taking the 'fizz'.

Same thing for the vino. £9.50 for a small glass of indifferent white that can be purchased in a supermarket for under £6.00 a bottle... add 12% = 'floodlight robbery'!

I did not want to kick up a fuss and took a limp crab salad and poorly seasoned burger on the chin. However, I did get an email from my clients first thing Monday morning, apologising for their recommendation, saying they had had a word with the concierge and asked me to invoice them for the total cost of the bill.

Believe me, I don't have Tom Aiken's front, so I merely suggested that next time they were over we'd go to the brasserie at Pont de la Tour.
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Chris Simmons
2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, August 25, 2010

On a sunny day this place is absolute fantastic! It's really REALLY expensive, but it looks amazing, the location is stunning and there's nothing like it in London, so it's definitely worth stopping by.... and even though the menu is limited, the food's pretty darn good.
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wendy
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Monday, May 31, 2010