Tom's Kitchen (Somerset House)

Just because we were passing by, went to Tom's Kitchen for lunch on Sunday 21 October. They only do a brunch menu which has few lunch items on it. One fish item was apparently sold out the other, 'battered fish and chips' turned out to be battered salmon and chips. We both had hamburgers. We asked for them to be rare and they were rare. The hamburger assembly was nice and the chips were very good, hot clearly just cooked, crisp outside and soft inside. The more breakfast type dishes which passed by look good.

The service was pleasant but quite lethargic for example mustard and mayonnaise were asked for and mayo and tomato sauce arrived - pointed out it wasn't mustard and it took about ten minutes for that to arrive. Such relaxed service was a characteristic at all stages.

The kitchen had managed to create a mayonnaise which had the consistency, taste and flavour of Hellman's, a triumphal homage.

The acoustics are terrible. Conversation can only be achieved at megaphone levels which only helps to increase the ambient noise levels. If you have to eat here bring earplugs.

Overall the food was reasonable, nothing outstanding but, other than the mayonnaise, ok.

The prices are excessive; at comparable prices one would expect better food and better service.

The attractiveness of the ambiance is totally marred by the atrocious acoustics.

Best avoided go to the Courtauld Gallery cafe instead which is cheap and cheerful and the food is quite good.
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John Stone
2 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Monday, October 24, 2011

We dined at Tom's Kitchen Somerset House on Thursday 28 April 2011. The setting looked great as there was an outside area that overlooked the Thames, however it appeared that this was being used for a private function and we were shown to an inside table. When seated we were asked if we would like some water and on accepting the offer found that had apparently ordered a bottle of water. There was no opportunity to decline the "offer" as when it arrived its cap was instantly removed and poured. It looked like a bottle of wine and the charge was only slightly less than that of an average bottle. My wife's meal must have been slightly more agreeable than mine as she can't remember what she had. I can, it was the Fish Pie, lots of mash a few pieces of fish topped with cheese that completely overpowered the fish. We decided enough was enough and left.

We had much better meals in all the local pubs we dined in during our 7 week stay in the UK at a third of the price. Some of the restaurants were excellent but Tom's Kitchen despite the location didn't even make the bottom rung.
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David Longhurst
3 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 1
Sunday, June 26, 2011

Ok, so this review isn't entirely fair in that we walked out without actually eating at Tom's Kitchen at Somerset House. But by that point we were so fed up with the discourteous staff, incompetent service and unavailable items on the menu that there wasn't any point staying.

We started at Tom's Terrace for a drink before dinner, which was actually very pleasant and a spot I'd go back to. The problems started when the restaurant entrance was closed because of a wedding taking place, and guarded by a doorman whose response to the question 'Can you tell us how to get to the restaurant?' was to say 'I don't know what you're talking about, I've got no idea'. It turned out the restaurant was right behind him. How long would it have taken for someone to explain to him what the restaurant was, and how to direct customers to get in? We then asked the Terrace staff how to get in, who variously thought the restaurant was closed (it wasn't) or still didn't know how to get in. Again, a two-minute start of service briefing would have avoided all this.

Having eventually worked out how to get in, we were seated in a surprisingly quiet (for a Saturday evening in central London at 8.15) room. The waiter came over, and explained that they had been very busy and a few dishes were off the menu. And listed a few. And a few. And a few more, until some seven or ten of the perhaps twenty-five starters and mains had been ruled out. Come on, this is central London and you can't have half the menu unavailable early on Saturday night. Not if you want to make any money, anyway.

Finally, we asked to speak to the manager. We were immediately shushed in case the conversation disturbed the wedding in the next room (unlikely given the applause for the speeches ringing out at the time), without a hint of apology or giving a damn about paying customers.

So if you want to risk a miniscule (and rather average) menu, with appalling customer service, this is the place. Come on Tom, staff being informed of the basics about the restaurant (e.g. where it is!), behaving courteously to customers and, er, actually having some food to serve would all improve this place immeasurably.
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BS
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, June 05, 2011

Having had one of the stand-out meals of my life at Tom Aikens last month, I decided to see if it could be even slightly repeated at Tom's Kitchen Somerset House. I wasn't expecting the same quality of food or service, but I was hoping to have a nice time. Sadly, it was one of those meals where I wish I had the guts to ask for the service charge to be removed from the bill.

The attitude of the waiters stunk. We were seated in the middle dining room, which had only 3 other tables of diners seated. 2 watiers and the manager (??, a guy in a grey suit) stood on the far side of the room chatting. It took 33 minutes of varying degrees of semaphore which eventually turned into shouting, before one deigned to come over and take our order.

We ordered cocktails, wine and bread and olives. Bread and olives arrived first, wine after about 10 minutes, cocktails after another 20 minutes by which time the nibbles were gone. I then, again, had to wave frantically to get a waiters attention to order our food as they were all lined up talking. I don't blame them for relaxing at work, but ignoring your customers is ridiculous.

As an aside, I found the bread really uninspiring - a bland cold french stick (which was served without butter the second time around); considering the bread served at Tom Aikens I was hoping for something a bit better.

Food was nice - 2 of us had the burger and chips which were fine; not outstanding, I prefer the nearby Byron. Chips were lovely. 2 had the pork belly which they said was phenomenal.

Again, took ages to get the bill - and they never cleared the dirty dishes off our table so we had to sit for half an hour with the remains in front of us. As the waitress was processing one of the cards, she walked away with it for ages then came back blaming connection issues. I know she wasn't up to anything nefarious, but she should have said something before disappearing!

A truly disappointing meal. When we booked Tom Aikens we were worried about the staff as all the reviews slated them, but we found them amazing. It appears they moved all their bad staff to Somerset House. Certainly will not be returning, I can think of far nicer places to spend £152 on a meal for 4.
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3 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, March 01, 2011

We experienced a fully memorable lunch at Tom Aikens in Chelsea shortly after it opened. Further attempts to repeat this were impossible because of its popularity and an inability to get a booking.

When we read that he had opened Tom's Kitchen in the old Somerset House Admiralty Restaurant, we decided to try it again for lunch. I rang to book and was assured by a lady with an Antipodean accent that booking was quite unnecessary on the 11th January.

Arriving at twenty past one we were greeted by a receptionist with the same accent. She explained that they had been unexpectantly busy and that we woud have to wait 15 minutes to get a table. She quite reasonably advised us to have a drink in the bar area.

The drinks list was frankly a rip-off with a single gin and tonic costing £9. We decided to try elsewhere and returned at a quarter to two and led to a table in the third section of the restaurant. We were on an elevated area next to the windows showing a spectacular view of the National Theatre, arguably not necessarily the most attractive of the London sky line.

The room is impressive as are the other two but are very tall due the glorious historical archirtecture. The downside of this is that the acoustics are appalling and for those with a hearing defect like me makes intimate conversation impossible unless pitched at the sort of level expected by a public speaker addressing an audience at speakers' corner. Just one such threesome arrived shortly after us which we could hear partially but not totally which was irritating. We moved to one of the comfortable curved-seated tables which dulled the echo a bit but not much.

Having arrived when we did it was more than an hour before we were able to order, by which time the room had largely emptied but for loud and garrulous neighbour.

We had decided only to have a main course. In my case this was goujons of sole with tartare sauce and leaves, the sole being too dry. As a side dish I was given quite delicious triple-cooked chips. My wife had the Cobb chicken breast with mushroom ragout and parsely crumb which was also superb. Her side dish was braised red cabbage also excellent.

We had a very drinkable bottle of Touraine Sauvignon, Cuvee de Prestige, a dry Loire white we know from previous tarvel to the area. £20.50 however is a serious mark up on cost to an extent paralleling the bar prices.

In summary therefore, the food is good but expensive. The prices of both soft and alcoholic drinks are totally unjustified for what is after all a restaurant servicing the visitors to Somerset House and its galleries.

The administration needs sharpening and the service once we got in was perfunctory although the food was overall done well. However, we shall not return.
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Peter Craig
4 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Thursday, January 13, 2011

Went out with some friends for a wholesome meal and they suggested Tom's as its near work and they had a fab lunch in the venue last week.

It was truly unique, the venue is very surprising, a bit of a maze to find it but when you do its a treat!

Great interior throughout and really understated, not show-off at all.

The food was amazing, I love my British cooking, i love it simple unfussy but full of flavour and this is what i got!!!

Its not cheap, but not expensive either, you get what you pay for in an amazing venue.

As a treat with friends in the evening or for a really nice lunch on your day off I would recommend it to anyone.
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Thomas Maddisson
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Thursday, November 04, 2010