Tom Aiken's functional, informal brasserie has a strong British rustic accent, plus some overseas inflections.

The Venue
Tom's Kitchen is just a few hundred yards down the road from Tom Aiken's Restaurant. (In fashion terms it would be the equivalent of the Michelin-starred restaurateur's casual range.) It spans four floors, including a bar and a private dining room upstairs, and the main space is decked out in white, grey and black, with big stainless steel ceiling lights and shiny white tiles reminiscent of an old fashioned butcher shop.

The Atmosphere
The place is bustling with well to do twenty- and thirty-somethings pretty much every day and night. It's light and roomy and has background pop music piped through the speakers. The service is informative but not intrusive, and there's a bar upstairs for a quick aperitif or digestive, a recommended option for dining removed from the bustling crowd.

The Food
As emphasised by the pictures of farmers and animals on the walls, well-sourced produce is obviously a major priority for head chef Ollie Couillard, formerly of La Trompette. His style is British brasserie and the courses are divided into soups, salads, meat, fish and birds. Starters include the rich, creamy and slick foie gras with a very English combination of bacon and a duck's egg (almost a meal in itself), as well as risotto, which is both sweet and salty with chunks of walnut adding texture and consistency (although the rice had just gone past that golden al dente point). Main courses weigh in at an average of around £16.00 - £18.00 and include top quality lamb served on a wooden board, as well as roasted fillet of sea bass with wilted spinach and olive oil mash or duck confit with big chips - all very satisfying. The ratatouille is a recommended side vegetable dish. As far as desserts go, the homemade vanilla yoghurt with churros is recommended and although the pastry on the apple tart is slightly brulee, the accompanying caramel ice cream is moreish. Weekend breakfasts, which include a muscular full English, are very popular.

The Drink
There are wines for everyone's taste, with a selection of around 30 whites and 26 reds, all sensibly listed in order of price. The Gavi Di Gavi is a good choice for a moderately-priced white, while a hearty Rioja La Montessa Herencia goes well with the chunky meat dishes. There's a good selection of cocktails as well as fresh lemon iced tea, vanilla frapuccino and non-alcoholic mojito for drivers and teetotallers.

The Last Word
At Tom's Kitchen you can sample some of Aikens' fine cooking for a moderate sum in an informal, bustling setting.

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