Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens opens up a second Tom’s Kitchen after the runaway success of his classy Chelsea branch. This time he places his menu of classic dishes with a twist in the grandiose setting of Somerset House.

The Venue
The location of Tom’s Kitchen at Somerset House couldn’t be closer to perfection, placed just off The Strand and overlooking the River Thames in the comfort of the picturesque Tudor palace. A walk through the neo-classical courtyard to access the restaurant is breathtaking, especially at night time when the impressive architectural feat is lit up spectacularly.

Tom’s Kitchen is located in the south wing of Somerset House, spread across what feels like a wide and lengthy corridor that has been divided into cosy compartments. In spite of this, with light décor, large bay windows and tall ceilings, Tom’s Kitchen manages to feel spacious. In each compartment new pine tables and chairs match the wooden floor and red leather booths maintain the elegant ambience of the restaurant’s surroundings. Lighting fixtures hang down from the ceiling over each table, making the food the focal point of the dining experience.

The Atmosphere
Although Tom’s Kitchen is in the most extravagant of settings, the minimalist décor gives the restaurant a laid-back feel, allowing customers to relax with their meal. The low lighting in the evening and the cosy booths (or tables for two) make Tom’s Kitchen the ideal location for a pre-theatre feast or a romantic dinner respectively, and the restaurant is never short of diners throughout the evening. The staff dressed in a smart, black uniform are friendly, clued up on the menu and happy to help.

The Food
Tom’s Kitchen at Somerset House brings the same menu from the popular Chelsea restaurant, where Tom Aikens has impressed with his obsession for fine, fresh ingredients used in traditional dishes with a twist. A great example of this is the butternut squash, honey and sage soup (£6.50), a traditional seasonal dish with the addition of sweet honey. Served with subtly flavoured sourdough bread, this is a hearty, winter warmer. The peppered goats cheese salad (£11.50) is a pretty plate with beets, figs, toasted walnuts and pomegranate seeds adding colour to crunchy salad leaves. The combination of flavours is delicious and the warm figs burst with flavour.

Continuing the theme of modern interpretations of traditional dishes is beer battered line caught cod (£19.50), a twist on the nation’s favourite dish that couldn’t be further from your local chip shop fare. The cod is cooked to perfection; flaky, succulent and coated in the lightest of batters. The dish comes with big chunky chips, a tartar sauce that is coarse with capers and a side salad in a sharp citrus dressing. Also on the menu is a venison casserole (£19.50), another warming dish in fruity, cranberry gravy served with a root vegetable mash that is light and fluffy.

For dessert, griottine cherry crème brulee (£7.50) is another classic served up in a new and imaginative way. The vanilla-laced custard has a crisp caramel topping that holds intricately placed, boozy cherries, served up with a zesty orange shortbread. The apple tart with cinnamon ice cream (£7.50) has thinly sliced layers of apple, glazed and placed on a thin pastry crust. Served with a cinnamon ice cream that packs a punch, this dish is super sweet and another great interpretation of a classic.

The Drink
There is a wide selection of carefully selected fine wines available, with prices starting at £20.50 a bottle and £5.25 a glass, like the 2008 Touraine Sauvignon Cuvée de Prestige from the Loire valley, which is sharp and subtly sweet. Classic cocktails start from £9.50, and Tom Aikens has even made his mark on two further menus of classic cocktails with a twist which include the pomegranate and peach bellini (£10.50) and the aptly named my fruity wife (£9.50), a blend of exotic fruits and vodka.

The Last Word
Tom Aikens maintains his reputation as an innovative and exciting chef here, where the theme of reinvented classic dishes is employed to great effect. Perhaps a new menu could have continued the excitement and stood up to the splendour of the new surroundings for his latest venture, but nevertheless, with food that is so carefully sourced and cooked to perfection, Tom’s Kitchen does not fail to impress.

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