Restaurant Tom Aikens

[Scottf]

...no wonder it is considered the best restaurant in london...it is!

By whom

[MobyP]

Of the interminable yearly round-ups from the restaurant critics, many chose the spritely Aikens as their pick of the year.

[Jonathan Day]

A business dinner at Aikens last night. I was focused on the client and the discussion, and I will plead Moby's excuse about superb food leaving one speechless, so what follows will have little bite-by-bite detail.

The room was reasonably quiet, until 6 bankers turned up at the next table and started to bleat, at high volume, about this the dollar (down) and 2003 bonuses (up). Happy times are here again! Even then, the tables are spaced widely enough that we had a good conversation.

The food was simply outstanding, some of the best I've tasted in London or anywhere else for that matter. Starter of chestnut "cassonade" with duck egg and truffles, then turbot with roasted artichokes. Each was wildly complex, yet delicious in every bite; like diving into a river of flavours. The turbot was perfectly cooked.

Breads (white, dill, olive, etc.) were ordinary; butter was fresh and delicious.

Service was slightly self-conscious, and the waiters announced each dish -- not only the numerous amuses and pre-desserts but also the dishes we had already ordered -- in soft, heavily accented voices, so that it was anyone's guess what some of them were. Otherwise, the service was very good.

We ordered cheese rather than pudding; my companions just asked for "a selection" and received somewhat mingy plates. I abandoned professional demeanour, asked the waiter to bring the cheese trolley over, and asked for 7 different cheeses, which he was happy to dish up. All were superb.

There were so many mignardises -- wafers, chocolates, madeleines -- that I can't imagine having ordered puds as well. The wafers were wonderful: thin, some almost transparent, in sesame, mint, chocolate flavours. The madeleines arrived warm and almost creamy inside.

We had a St Aubin 1er cru (£48); the sommelier recommended this over a more expensive wine I had requested. I wasn't watching the food prices and didn't see the bill, so I don't know how expensive it was, but my guess is that this place is pricey. Tasting menu, if I recall correctly, was £55.

Truly an outstanding restaurant, definitely in a league with GR RHR; some of the dishes were better.

[MobyP]

What I remember most vividly are not the tastes, nor the technique, but the imagination of it. In every plate that reached our table was evidence of a man allowing himself to have fun. I'm almost hesitant to go back for fear a lesser experience.

I'm intrigued, though. There are certainly more knowledgeable diners on these boards than me, but I would be hard pressed to place a qualitative difference between Aikens and Ramsey.

Edited February 14, 2004 by MobyP (log)

[Andy Lynes]

I would be hard pressed to place a qualitative difference between Aikens and Ramsey.

...and so I believe would Aikens. Its rumoured that he was hopping mad not to have been awarded 2 stars straight off the bat this year and wrote a letter of complaint to Michelin.

[MobyP]

The one thing you can't fault Ramsey for is a lack of patience.

Has anyone ever gotten 2 stars off the bat? Or is he presuming he'd carry them over from his last place? And didn't they do that for Nico?

[Andy Lynes]

If stars have been carried over (e.g. MPW from Harveys to Hyde Park) its been where there has been only a short break in trading during a relocation of a business. With Aikens, he's been out of circulation for a couple of years. I don't know of any establishment in the UK at least going into the guide above one star.

[MobyP]

From the Independent:

"Chef who disappeared after knife burn incident triumphs in Tatler awards"

[circeplum]

i've posted elsewhere on this. but anyway...

i wasn't massively blown away by my first (evening) visit to aikens, but a recent lunch there had me speechless with pleasure at the skill - and importantly, the deliciousness - of the food.

lightyears ahead of the connaught in terms of complexity and artistry, i'd say.

[MobyP]

i wasn't massively blown away by my first (evening) visit to aikens, but a recent lunch there had me speechless with pleasure at the skill - and importantly, the deliciousness - of the food.

It's obvious that (1) you need to return for dinner, and (2) you should go with someone who laughs in the face of fear! Someone for whom danger is but a small rabbit in the field of life! And Terror but a bashed-neep on a Scotsman's dinner table!

And when I meet that person, I'll tell them where you are...

[circeplum]

i would love to return for dinner.

are you offering, moby?

x

[tony h]

i would love to return for dinner.

are you offering, moby?

x

don't know about diner, but I'm up for lunch in 1st or 3rd

[robyn]

i wasn't massively blown away by my first (evening) visit to aikens, but a recent lunch there had me speechless with pleasure...

Speechless with pleasure. Hmmmmm. Are you sure all you did was have lunch ? Robyn

[circeplum]

since my 'date' was 90 years old, i'm afraid it was only the lunch doing it for me...

x

[MobyP]

Ah Marina - your review sent me straight to the phones. I'm having lunch there on Monday, and I'll see if I can muster up some speechlessness with adjectives and the odd noun or two on my return.

[circeplum]

look forward to hearing about it!!

x

[Jamsie]

Have to say i've booked for lunch in a couple of weeks on the basis of this thread

[Andy Lynes]

I think we should start charging Mr Aikens a commission, all this business we're putting his way.

[tony h]

how about an aikens tattoo in the shape of a flaming knife for each visit?

Edited February 19, 2004 by blind lemon higgins (log)

[robyn]

I think we should start charging Mr Aikens a commission, all this business we're putting his way.

If I go - just give me the mailing address for the commission .

Seriously - someone mentioned this place to me a while back when I was asking about London restaurants (it was relatively new - and not too many people had first hand knowledge). Looks like a "don't miss it" based on what I'm reading here. Robyn

[MobyP]

how about an aikens tattoo in the shape of a flaming knife for each visit?

I like that. A lot.

Every time you reach course 7, Mrs. Aikens comes out with a burning brand. Known throughout the industry as 'Course 8.'

[degusto]

The food was simply outstanding, some of the best I've tasted in London or anywhere else for that matter. Starter of chestnut "cassonade" with duck egg and truffles, then turbot with roasted artichokes. Each was wildly complex, yet delicious in every bite; like diving into a river of flavours. The turbot was perfectly cooked.

Breads (white, dill, olive, etc.) were ordinary; butter was fresh and delicious.

Service was slightly self-conscious, and the waiters announced each dish -- not only the numerous amuses and pre-desserts but also the dishes we had already ordered -- in soft, heavily accented voices, so that it was anyone's guess what some of them were. Otherwise, the service was very good.

We ordered cheese rather than pudding; my companions just asked for "a selection" and received somewhat mingy plates. I abandoned professional demeanour, asked the waiter to bring the cheese trolley over, and asked for 7 different cheeses, which he was happy to dish up. All were superb.

There were so many mignardises -- wafers, chocolates, madeleines -- that I can't imagine having ordered puds as well. The wafers were wonderful: thin, some almost transparent, in sesame, mint, chocolate flavours. The madeleines arrived warm and almost creamy inside.

We had a St Aubin 1er cru (£48); the sommelier recommended this over a more expensive wine I had requested. I wasn't watching the food prices and didn't see the bill, so I don't know how expensive it was, but my guess is that this place is pricey. Tasting menu, if I recall correctly, was £55.

Truly an outstanding restaurant, definitely in a league with GR RHR; some of the dishes were better.

It is interesting how a restaurant can give people such different impression.

I had a dismal meal at Tom Aikens a week or so before Jonathan was there.

The food lacked inspiration, it was badly cooked and I thought the compositions consistently lacked talent. I did taste some of the stuff Jonathan had. The cheeses were very tired and dry. The main course of a variation of parts of pig was deplorable. The meal goes in on the top twenty worst meals I have had in a starred restaurant. How it can be compared with Gordon Ramsay at RHR is to me just incomprehensible. I do not think Ramsay is close to the top ten to fifteen in France but Ramsay’s food is much cleaner, better executed and more thought through than Aikens food. Not in any detail is there anything that can be a match.

I do not see any justification for him to be expecting two stars. I can safely say that had it been awarded two stars I would have thought it would have been the by far worst two star meal I had ever had.

Service was ok.

[tony h]

I do not see any justification for him to be expecting two stars. I can safely say that had it been awarded two stars I would have thought it would have been the by far worst two star meal I had ever had.

i take you haven't eaten in john burton race - that was really really bad

[tony h]

Ah Marina - your review sent me straight to the phones. I'm having lunch there on Monday, and I'll see if I can muster up some speechlessness with adjectives and the odd noun or two on my return.

well? whats' the verdict

[MobyP]

I got busted. Couldn't go. I'm in deep mourning.