Tomtom have two businesses in the area: arguably the best coffee shop in the ghetto that is Victoria, and this place. Over the years, the Mess Hall has experimented with format and menu, and remains generally better at breakfast than dinner. Yet it never seems like a go-to lunch joint, which seems odd given the dearth of good local spots in the area.
Looking for something different for lunch with colleagues, we elected to give TomTom a well deserved shot at a Friday burger lunch. The menu did not disappoint, with plenty of options and and some innovation - pink mustard mayo, for example. Expectations rose.
So why not 5 stars? Execution disappointed the menu, and we left full but unfulfilled. Here is why:
1. The prices are aggressive. At £9 or so, the burgers are at a premium to other burgers in the area. Tomtom defends this with decor, hipsters and the offer of cocktails. But £4 for a 4 oz milkshake is preposterous, especially one as pedestrian as this. Either make it bigger or make it cheaper. Cocktails are pricier still.
2. The food arrived cold. Great news where the milkshake is concerned but not for the burger. The grill was easily visible from our seats... and the Chef was not exactly busy. It remains a mystery why the burger arrived on the wrong side of cold, but it did.
3. Service. TomTom is small, and it is staffed with three or four people all of whom were nice and tried hard. What's confusing is that they were doing pretty much anything other than waiting tables. Perhaps we were supposed to order from the counter? Things were not clear. Maybe they were having an off day.
The burger segment in Victoria is getting competitive with the arrival of Bleeker and Shake Shack around the corner. I like TomTom, and I love their coffee place. I'd love to see them win the brunch and salad market rather than stumble through burgers. I don't rate them above Bleeker, which is closer to my office.
Experience says that they are far better than this meal and hence I have been kind with the rating. I'd go back in a flash and give them another try when the format changes.
Salad and soup anyone? read more