MEMORY lane

Take a nostalgic journey at Tom Aikens’ artistic new restaurant with dishes inspired by days of his past

Brit chef Tom Aikens’ latest venture Muse is an autobiographical labour of love, with a moniker that refers both to the childhood memory upon which each dish is based, and the restaurant’s Belgravia mews location. Dishes presented on a range of bespoke ceramics by London artisans such as Jose Carvalho and Fire & Gold include ‘Sea Lavender’, a dish of mackerel, sesame and daikon – a narrative nod to his father’s Drascombe Lugger that they used to sail along the Devon coast. ‘Conquering the Beech Tree’ – a dish of langoustine, pork fat and burnt apple – is introduced with a pop-up book about fearlessness (expositions are delivered at the table, often by Aikens himself ). The bijou location and interiors by Rebecca Körner, plus a nostalgic soundtrack of Kate Bush and Roxy Music, bring an intimacy to Muse that’s a far cry from the usual fine-dining experience. On the ground floor is just enough space for a cocktail reception area – the menu courtesy of Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan – with a bespoke shell-shaped drinks cabinet and an open kitchen encased in red marble. Upstairs, a banquette upholstered in silver bouclé flanks one wall and a green marble kitchen counter offers a pew for diners to watch the chefs at work, before settling in for a six-course tasting menu or three-course lunch (musebytomaikens.co.uk).