Tom Aikens

Whether it was because of the credit crunch or financial downturn or something else, Tom Aikens got one hell of scare at the end of 2008 when his restaurant went into receivership. Luckily for him, and for us, his flagship restaurant did not close for a single day as financial backers were found. These backers clearly know a good thing when they see one, for this is surely one of the top restaurants in the UK, and Tom one of the country's most precocious talents. The restaurant on a quiet street in SW3 amid the urban piles of ordinary Chelsea folk is smartly understated and gives no inkling of what culinary stirrings are taking place within. The Anouska Hempel-designed interior is coolly minimalist with some natural materials (bamboo screens, dark-wood floors), black leather chairs and modern artwork giving a confident contemporary feel. Service gets the tone spot on, ensuring that, although everything is formal and professional, there is no trace of pomposity or stuffiness, while the wine list is astonishingly well put together. Tom's technical ability is second to none, his dishes crafted with considerable flair, and the menus - fixed-price lunch, carte and two tasting menus - are full of dishes that dazzle. Produce is uniformly outstanding, flavours hit the mark with relentless consistency, and everything from the bread (semolina, for example, or a glorious bacon and onion brioche) to the petits fours (a fabulous array including fruit-flavoured foams served on teaspoons) are made with phenomenal attention to detail. Langoustines of jaw-dropping freshness and flavour come both roasted and as a beignet, served with braised pig's cheek and a perfectly balanced ginger sauce. Main-course roast Ark chicken makes a star of this less glamorous of meats, partnered with a boudin, lemon macaroni, steamed egg yolk and a chicken jus that bursts with flavour. And for dessert a chocolate Dacuoise will send any lover of the cocoa bean into ecstasy - differing levels of intensity and varying flavours come from an array of mousses, creams and tuiles, with a milk ice cream to bring it all together. This is modern French cooking out of the top drawer.

Off Fulham Rd (Brompton Rd end)
Nearest station: South Kensington

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