Tom Aikens to open boutique Belgravia restaurant

Celebrity chef Tom Aikens is to open a 25-cover restaurant called Muse in a renovated muse house in London’s affluent Belgravia district this December.

Given its tiny size, Muse will focus around the chef’s table concept, where Aikens will be present cooking dishes inspired by childhood memories and influenced by flavours and techniques he’s picked up during his travels as a chef.

His seasonal, stripped-back tasting menu will spotlight one key ingredient or element per dish, with each dish based around a story or memory.

The dining space will be split over two floors of the mews house, each boasting an open plan kitchen. The wood and marble-filled interiors, designed by Rebecca Korner, will feature an eclectic mix of furniture and lighting.

“Throughout my life, I have been inspired and influenced by many different people, places, and travels.

“From my mother, Tania, who opened my eyes to the infinite pleasures that food can bring – like the very first time I tasted a juicy strawberry or a sweet pea-pod plucked from the ground – to all of those who have guided me throughout my journey, from my initial steps into a kitchen to where I am today,” Aikens said.

“I have an inherent pride of my Norfolk provenance, and the many places that were a home-from-home in those early years. Muse pays homage to all of these. To the big and the small things that have had the greatest impact on my life, and that mean the most to me,” he added.