Chi-chi, smart and exclusive, the Michelin starred Tom Aikens restaurant serves food with flair and his infamous froth – but isn’t it all a bit pompous?

The Venue
Located on Elystan Street on the borders of South Kensington and Chelsea, Tom Aikens is a short walk from the South Kensington underground station, or there is parking on nearby Pelham Street. Denoted by stylish and discreet black signage, it’s not difficult to find, with tiny potted plants by the front door. Once inside, the Anoushka Hempel Design interior offers few surprises – you wonder where all the design effort went, in fact. It’s stark and minimal, with black and white tablecloths, heavy black chairs, dark wood floors, bamboo blinds and small white flower arrangements.

The Atmosphere
Tom Aikens attracts an in-the-know crowd of businessmen, celebrities and West London foodies, sitting at their tables talking in hushed tones over their rather formally served dinner. Despite only being in his thirties, Tom comes with some pedigree, having being the youngest man to earn himself two Michelin stars (at just 26) and completing stints at La Tante Claire at the Berkeley Hotel and Joel Rubuchon in Paris. The youth continues with his choice of front of house staff; however, despite their young ages they are a little pompous and ceremonial, not to mention supercilious in their enforcement of the dress code – suits and dress shoes only here!

The Food
In contrast to the stark surroundings and unfriendly staff, the food at Tom Aikens is served with significant flair - your amuse bouche arrives in milk bottles or test tubes, and the crockery is mismatched and differently sized to create interest. It provides welcome relief from the otherwise formal surroundings, and gives a much needed talking point if you’re lunching with business colleagues or people you don’t know very well.

The food itself comes on a choice of menus – you can opt for the a la carte, tasting or classic, priced at £65, £80 and £100 respectively. The tasting menu (if you go for this, your whole table needs to join you) offers up a seven course gastronomic extravaganza, starting with a cold coco bean soup that comes with warm poached chicken. Presented between a shot glass and large brightly coloured crockery, it looks more interesting than it really is, though the chicken is poached to succulent perfection. The two flavours don’t really complement each other though, so you end up eating the two separately, almost like two different courses.

Next up is an amazing foie gras terrine with pureed apples. The terrine is cooked until charred on the outside, a smoky dark flavour that’s perfectly balanced by the sweet and tasty apple. This dish does taste a little salty, but again the apples manage to even the flavours out. The John Dory fish dish that follows means it’s time to show off Tom’s infamous foam – in this case, it’s a pumpkin foam, combined with thick ribbons of pasta and a veal ragu. The flavours are a little heavy to combine with John Dory, which is quite a light fish, but again it’s cooked to juicy perfection and it’s worth disregarding the rest of the food on the plate and just enjoying the fish.

The main event is a lamb dish with red pepper puree and chickpeas. Often lamb dishes on tasting menus are dull fillers served with a predictable red wine jus, but as ever Tom Aikens is determined to innovate and stamp their signature style on each course. The lamb in question is a roasted cutlet, again cooked to charred and smoky perfection, with the red pepper providing a sweet accompaniment.

Following all this there are another two fruit courses – presently prunes with armagnac ice cream, then passion fruit with vanilla creme anglaise, then coffee and petit fours. It all makes a sweet and light finish to what is quite a heavy meal.

Overall, the tasting menu just feels a little overdone – it is technically adept, but often you find yourself ignoring much of what is on the plate to focus on the main ingredient. Serving four or five things with every course is just a little distracting, however perfectly executed and presented each individual component is, though you’ll savour every last mouthful of what is otherwise the perfect meal.

The Drink
Chef sommelier Gearoid Devaney spent months compiling what he considers the perfect wine list. It’s certainly got an amazing level of choice, with selections from the Rhone, Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France making up the bulk of it, as well as plenty of New World options. There are options to suit every wallet, from £18 to over two grand, but a safe choice to match everything on the tasting menu is the excellent creamy tasting 2001 Sauvignon de Saint Bris Chablis, priced at just £27 (notably cheaper than many competitors serving the same vintage).

The Last Word
The staff at Tom Aikens are simply pompous, and the surroundings offer nothing to write home about, but this place is all about the food. Overlook its complicated, showy nature and you’re left with exceptional craftsmanship and some of the best dishes in the capital, designed to make you say ‘Wow’ with each course. There’s no wonder it’s at the top of every London foodie’s list.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (3) what's on