Pat and I could hardly believe that Tom Aikens came back on offer so soon after our last visit. Having said that we hadn’t intended on going again for a while as it just seemed too indulgent to have the same rich meal again within three months. However, checking the menu the offerings were going to be different (Christmas theme) so we were in like a shot!

We both said from the outset that despite how fantastic the bread offerings were at Tom Aikens (and they were still really fantastic tonight) that we would try to resist eating too many of them throughout the meal. I was able to resist to some extent but between us we still ate enough to require requesting a second butter patty. At one stage Pat declared “no more bread” but then the next second when the waiter came around offering more bread Pat immediately said yes! Ha! He just couldn’t resist.

For our amuse bouche we were familiar with two of them (the Polenta and Parmesan croquette and the Olive “Bubble”) with the new kid on the scene being the truffle soup. Divine much? A touch on the salty side I still could have eaten the truffle soup all day long. Mmmm …

Our first dish last time was a scallop dish and this time it was also scallop but served very differently. Roast Scallop, black pudding, and parsnip purée. As fresh as the scallop was last time I think I enjoyed this one much better. The black pudding went surprisingly well.

For a Christmas treat next up was Venison Carpaccio, fig purée, toasted walnuts. Very festive and very fun dish. Very colourful – lucky I wasn’t wearing a white shirt!

Poached and Roasted Foie Gras, cassoulet Haricot beans. Not a fan of beans but the foie gras was tasty. I’m scared by just how much I’m starting to fall in love with foie gras. Not that I would go out of my way to get it … but I have no problems now chucking it down.

A fish course of John Dory, with chestnut ravioli, cabbage, bacon was one of my favourites tonight. The sweet and the salty played off the John Dory really well in this dish.

The next dish was really cute. Not sure if it was plated intentionally but I love how it actually looks like a bird! Roast Partridge, pear purée, choucroute, winter truffle sauce. Truffle. Check. Partridge cooked right. Check.

Desserts followed our savoury dishes. Two types: Confit Red Wine Plums, vanilla parfait, red wine sorbet and then the more Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pannacotta, pumpkin cake, candied kumquats. Yum.

And finally, what we had been waiting for, the petit fours! Tom Aikens really knows how to start and finish a meal!