Contractor Compass signs up chef Tom Aikens

He is to open Tom's Kitchen restaurant and Tom's Terrace at the venue. Tom's Terrace will replace the River Terrace Café and will open later this month. "Somerset House is one of the finest locations in London," says Sarah Miller, Compass UK's business director, "but competition is fierce and we have to give our guests something fantastic if we want them to eat with us rather than at the dozens of other restaurants in the area. "With Tom's Kitchen, which has been a huge success in Chelsea, we have that added ingredient. Tom is one of the best chefs working in London and we are confident that his food, coupled with the wonderful setting, will be a big hit with diners in the West End." Tom's Terrace, the new name for Somerset House's summer-only terrace restaurant overlooking the river Thames, will also be overseen by Aikens, with a menu of seasonal dishes and a wide selection of sharing plates. A dramatic new canopy has been built to give protection from the English summer while still providing some of the best views of the river and generating a sophisticated al fresco ambience. Aikens joins a distinguished list of world-renowned chefs that have partnered with Compass including Albert Roux, Michel Roux Junior and Gary Rhodes. Aikens said: "Somerset House is a fantastic venue for this new look restaurant. I am looking forward to offering patrons a fresh and relaxed dining experience in outstanding surroundings." As well as expanding his stable of restaurants in London, Aikens will also appear on TV screens later this April as the star of Channel 4's new series Iron Chef.