Muse – one of London’s newest fine dining restaurants (January 2020) – has been awarded its first Michelin Star
Muse by Tom Aikens – the experience-led, 25-seater townhouse restaurant – has been awarded its first Michelin star. Only having opened in January 2020, and following months of enforced closure, this is a huge achievement for Tom and his team of 15 front and back of house staff. Tom and team are thrilled with the recognition of their work through receipt of this iconic award, especially after having only been able to trade for just over four months. It has been a turbulent time for the industry, and receipt of its first Michelin star is a hugely welcome accolade.
On receiving the award Tom Aikens says: “After what has been an unimaginably challenging year for everyone, this is the most thrilling news we could have hoped for. Every cloud has a silver lining, thank you Michelin! Myself and my team are absolutely chuffed, and grateful to Michelin for awarding this to us so soon. It means more than ever this year. Despite the current circumstances, we sincerely hope and believe that we will all be able to get back to doing what we love soon – our journey has only just begun and we have a lot more in store for you all… We’ll be back with a bang as soon as we can!”
The restaurant opened in January 2020 to critical acclaim (9/10 – The Guardian (Grace Dent), 4* – The Telegraph (Kathryn Flett)) and has been heralded as a must-visit destination restaurant amongst London’s dining scene. Housed in a converted Georgian townhouse on a cobbled mews, the restaurant seats 25 guests over two floors, with dramatic open kitchens with interiors which allow guests to be immersed in the experience. Interiors are by Rebecca Korner who worked closely with Tom to create Muse’s memorable and distinctly intimate setting.
Muse’s menus are inspired by nostalgia and the pivotal moments and key people from Tom’s personal life and career. Through Tom’s take on experience-led dining, Muse invites guests on a culinary journey that has been designed to create lasting memories. With six and ten-course tasting menus, each dish harks back to something or someone who has influenced Tom, paying subtle and artful culinary homage. For example, a dish titled ‘The love affair continues’, is inspired by Tom’s French mentors Joël Robuchon and Pierre Koffmann, honouring Robuchon’s signature mashed potato and Koffmann’s renowned method of cooking fish in goose fat. Dishes champion just a couple of key ingredients, use carefully selected produce – a vast majority of which is from Norfolk, Tom’s home county – and aim to simultaneously intrigue and scintillate guests.
Tom still holds the title as the UK’s youngest chef to gain two Michelin stars, aged just 26, at London’s Pied- à-Terre. His eponymous restaurant, Tom Aikens, was also awarded a star in its first year, in 2003, followed by ‘Rising-Two-Star’ status in 2008. This is the first star for Muse, his newest restaurant and the opening of which marked his return to fine dining.
