Tom's Terrace @ the Somerset House

The Somerset House is right next to the main King's College Campus on the Strand, somewhere I have recently spent a lot of time. The back terrace of the Somerset house is usually occupied by the River Terrace Cafe, which I have had numerous capuchinos at between classes. At the beginning of the summer the terrace was converted into a pop-up restaurant by the infamous Tom's Kitchen in Chelsea. 

Where: Somerset House, Strand

The Scene: Outdoor dining with partial view of the Thames

Delight: Delicious lunch

Disappointment: Limited menu and high prices

The mister and I went to go check out Tom's Terrace yesterday. I had read a scathing review of Tom's Terrace in the Guardian not too long ago, but I absolutely love that spot behind the Somerset House and I thought the menu (not the prices) looked pretty decent.

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When we arrived at nearly 1 pm I was surprised to only see a few other people lunching. I guess this spot is a bit hidden, but in the end I loved that it wasn't packed. It was great to relax without tourists and noise surrounding you.

I had the hamburger (£14.50) with cheese (for an extra £1) and the mister had the steak sandwich (£17.50). The main courses are very limited since they do all the cooking outside. There are only two other main dishes, grilled chicken and smoked salmon. We passed on both starters and desserts, which was a good thing because I was completely stuffed after finishing my hamburger. We were both extremely happy with our choices. My meat was perfectly grilled and melted in my mouth. This is definitely one of the best, if not the best, hamburger I have had in London. The mister's steak sandwich was open face, which he loved. The steak was covered with what appeared to be rocket. He said it was like having a steak sandwich and a steak salad all in one. He raved about the steak's preparation.

Cheese burger & chips

Steak Sandwich

Our bill was just about £40 once we added on drinks and service. Not exactly the tab I want to be having at lunch but the quiet and relaxing atmosphere, along with two great meals (and a sunny day!) made it worth it.

Before leaving we peaked our heads in at Tom's Deli, which is just inside the Somerset House building. It's a cute little place to get lunch, serving salad, smoothies, a variety of antipastos and most importantly some really good looking sweets. Since I am still dropping by the Stand campus this summer I might check out Tom's deli next time I need to grab a bite to eat.