TOM'S KITCHEN

Brunch is one of my favorite meals. It's perfect for me as I like to laze around in bed on the weekends and always end up skipping breakfast. I had heard of Tom's Kitchen last year in November when I was in London and they had just opened. My friends and I were supposed to have an early dinner there but changed our mind at the last minute as they only had a very limited menu at the time.

The interiors are light and airy with high ceilings and a big skylight in the back area. Walls are covered in white subway tiles and decorated by alternating mirrors and large black and white photographs of farmers and their produce. Unvarnished wooden floors and tables work as a good contrast to the all-white interior. It reminded us of New York's Dean & Deluca. The closely-spaced tables and the open kitchen make the place noisy but this just adds to the cafe atmosphere.

This restaurant from celebrated chef Tom Aikens' serves simple food in a casual setting. The menus are short and to the point. There's a list of different breakfast breads, eggs and pancakes. On the weekend, a short list of heartier dishes are added on for brunch - sausages and mash, hamburger etc. My husband loves big breakfasts but he wasn't feeling that ravenous that morning so he settled on a basket of fresh bread, a croissant and half a grapefruit with a large cafe latte. I, on the other hand, was starving and decided on a bacon cheeseburger (it was already noon anyway).

Most tables were emptying out from the earlier breakfast rush and switching over to brunch. By the time we had ordered though, the next wave of clients arrived and tall throughout our meal, there was always a short queue at the door of walk-ins waiting for a table.

The bread was served in a rough linen-lined basket with some cold butter on a small marble slab. This was followed by the grapefruit and burger. The bacon-cheeseburger was very good and came with fat fries, pickles and a small bottle of homemade tomato ketchup. We both ate slowly enjoying our meal and the buzzing atmosphere. We shared a lemon cheesecake with pineapple sorbet for dessert and I had a strong, dark espresso to finish. Tom's Kitchen is ideal for a quick lunch or a long leisurely breakfast and the crowd of Chelsea locals who seem to know one another enough so it feels like a club. It's the ideal hangout for yummy mummies, with or without kids in tow, for breakfast and lunch and the 30 to 45 year-old crowd for dinner.

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Tom's Kitchen

27 Cale Street, London SW3 3QP

Tel: +44 0207 349 0202

Breakfast: Monday to Friday- 7 to 10 AM

Lunch: Monday to Friday - 12 to 3 PM

Dinner Daily - 6 to 12 midnight

Brunch: Saturday - 10 to 3 PM and Sunday - 11 to 3 PM