A few years ago, I visited Tomtom Cigars & Coffee, super close to Victoria train station in London. I sat outside the shop and enjoyed a cigar during the visit. Later, I discovered that there was a cigar lounge downstairs, but it was only open on certain days of the week. Regrettably, I missed out on this opportunity. In my previous blog post about the store, I mentioned my intention to revisit the sampling lounge. Recently, I had the chance to fulfill that wish and explore the lounge firsthand 🎉

Background:

Tomtom Cigars & Coffee opened in December 1997 on Elizabeth Street, Belgravia, London.

Tom Assheton (whom the store is named after) ran the store for many years until he decided to retire in 2019.

Since then, new owners have taken over, and Cristian Secchi, a Master of Havana Cigars Habanos S.A. manages the store.

The store has a wide range of fine cigars and accessories available including Elie Bleu humidors, ST Dupont lighters, Alfred Dunhill accessories, Tomtom humidors and much more, as well as an excellent selection of single-estate coffee beans that perfectly complement a good cigar.

You can enter their walk-in humidor to pick a cigar, head to the sampling lounge to smoke it or relax in the outdoor seating area. Their staff are always friendly and knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions.

My Experience:

On my second visit to the store, I knew exactly where it was located, just a 7-10 minute walk from Victoria train station in London. 

As soon as I arrived, the shop staff greeted me warmly and made me feel welcome. Within seconds, I was inside their walk-in humidor.

Tomas, the cigar sommelier was there to guide me in choosing a cigar. He was very knowledgeable, and I learned a lot from him. I asked him several questions about the cigars, and the humidor – which I have recently become a little bit obsessed with. I appreciate the time he took to share his knowledge with me 🙏

The walk in humidor

After a refurbishment post 2020, the store’s previous stockroom was transformed into a walk-in humidor by Massimo from DeART (This guy is everywhere and smashing it at the moment!).

The humidor is a wonderful addition to the store, offering a wide variety of mainly Cuban cigars. The cigars are arranged on the left-hand side of the humidor according to their strength, starting from light to medium to full-bodied ones.

This makes it easier for cigar newbies to know what to try next if they start with a lighter bodied cigar.

On the right side of the humidor, you’ll find aged and vintage cigars.

As well as a small assortment of non-Cuban cigars, including Davidoff and Regius cigars towards the back of the humidor.

During my visit, I picked a Punch 48 cigar with a Habanos specialist label, this cost £41.00. What surprised me was that someone else came into the humidor and chose the same stick without any guidance. It felt great to know that I had made a good choice!

The stats:

Punch 48
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 48
Strength: Medium
Country of origin: Cuba

I didn’t realise at the time of purchasing that I had already smoked one of these cigars before Punch 48. Interestingly, I bought this cigar for £24.95 online a couple of years back at Havana House, and the prices have skyrocketed since then.

Side note: The more cigars I smoke, the harder it becomes to keep track of them. So, I’m going to start listing out the cigars I’m smoking, much like I did during my A to Z cigar challenge, and keep track of them. I heard about an interesting approach to documenting cigar consumption from someone I recently met. Apparently, they take a photo of each cigar they smoke and then convert those photos into a spreadsheet list to keep track of their smoking habits. This got me thinking that perhaps I should do the same!

The lounge

Anyway, I digress. Now that I have a cigar to smoke, it’s time to head to the cigar sampling lounge. As I walk through the door and down some stairs, I am immediately impressed by the luxurious ambiance of this place.

Despite being located in the basement of a coffee and cigar shop, it feels like I have just walked into a high-end hotel cigar lounge. The lounge was designed by Jorge Khawam of Mayfair design practice OWN. They have successfully brought the cigar-spirit of the ’90s into current times.

As soon as I walk in, I see the coffee bar where staff are ready to serve me coffee and water while I relax with my cigar. Unfortunately, no whiskey or alcohol is available.

There are six leather-looking chairs, including a pair of tobacco-colored Berluti armchairs, and a sofa that seats three to four people. I notice a smaller humidor in the back corner of the room, which I believe is for the owner.

The venue is decorated with works of art, fancy cigar ashtrays, big mirrors, and a large TV playing ambient scenes from I think Cuba. There are toilets upstairs too!

My cigar cap was cut and lit by the cigar sommelier.

The cigar took around 50 minutes to smoke, and it started light at first. It had a bit of a spicy kick in the second third, and I enjoyed it.

I had a wonderful time visiting this place, and I enjoyed it even more than the first time around. The sampling lounge is a hidden gem and definitely had a wow-factor about it. Even after being in the lounge for two hours, I didn’t want to leave, which is a feeling I don’t usually have.

Although I enjoyed the venue a lot, I felt that they should change the name of the store as it doesn’t match the ambiance somehow. However, I can see why they kept it. The original Tom must have set the scene with the community and I suspect this venue attracts a lot of regulars.

This is an excellent place for newbie cigar smokers. You can start off on the seats outside and then work your way down to the cigar sampling lounge. It’s also a great spot for a couple of friends to get together too. This destination is a must-visit and is conveniently located near Bosidales of Belgravia so enthusiasts and connoisseurs can visit both places in one go – if they want to make a day of it!

The sampling lounge opens at 12 midday and stays open until closing time. There’s a 20% surcharge on top of the bill if you want to smoke in the lounge. I would advise you book in advance by calling or emailing.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

If you are keen to visit this venue, the details are below:

Tomtom Cigars
Address: 63 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9PP

Phone: 020 7730 1790
Website: tomtomcigars.co.uk
Email: shop@tomtomcigars.co.uk

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If you liked this review, check out my others at cigar bars, terraces and smoking lounges.