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The Fat Duck Bray
4
3
Reviews
British in Bray
High Street
, Bray, SL6 2AQ
+44 (0) 1628 580 333
http://www.fatduck.co.uk
Restaurant of the year 2001 by Michelin, owned by Heston Blumenthal.
Tags:
expensive, haute cuisine, value for money
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The Fat Duck
Bray
Reviews
We are still flabbergasted... - Seems that there are 2 strands in the previous reviews, i will tackle both, badly no doubt! Price... Well sorry but it's going to cost the earth to eat in any of the top 50 restaurants in the world, if you are following the michellin style ratings. The money spent on food, staff, decor, crystal glasses, hand lotion in the bathroom, etc etc, blah blah. It makes the Fat Duck seem fantastic and extrememly polished in an honest fashion. We felt it was far from being pretentious but it did cost us £300 aswell and for that we expected alot, we got it.
The food, wow, Heston is a fan of utilising the senses and why not because on it's own the sense of taste jogs the memory banks like no other. I actually ate here 1 year ago and i can still taste so many different dishes. Mustard icecream, it works, you'd buy it if you could, lavender and oyster, ditto, moosed foie gras...
But for us the highlight came from a human expereince. We were presented with minature cereal boxes, bowls and mini jugs. Our cool french waiter, who had allready screwed with our minds told us to eat up as he was coming back for a quiz! So we ate, carefully coz at this stage of our meal we allready knew the damage (£)was going to be heavy. The cereal looked like corn flakes but closer inspection said they weren't so we put 'em in the bowl, 'milked' up and had brekkie. V & I worked out they were root flakes but couldn't tell which. The waiter informed us that it was parsip. It was lovely and he hung around for our next question... I asked him 'that wasn't milk, was it?' he smiled and replied with satisfaction in that irritatingly cool french accent 'No, it was parsnip milk!' I then asked 'how the hell do you get parsnip milk?' to which he said with clinical logic '1st you catch a parsnip, then you milk it.' Perhaps you had to be there but we baffled then as we are still today, by the whole meal.
I still talk about The Fat Duck whenever i get the chance as it reamains a gastronomic piece of theatre unlike any other i have had. But i still left having eaten many delicous things and with a new lack of respect for my own palate and knowledge of taste. We can so easily be deceived by restaurants and our own baggage when eating out, we really must eat without prior judgement but coming to the table with hard earnt knowledge of tastes and foods really does add to any dining experience.
Oh and coz it was so amazing we asked to see the kitchen, it was spotless and tiny, staffed by aliens all of whom smiled and said hello. Out of this world...
17-12-08
Tags:
Best food experience in Britain, expensive, value for money
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Foodie Pilgrimage - Yes, with the amount of press/reviews around the Fat Duck, and Heston creating his perfect creations all over the TV on midweek nights, you probably already feel that you've eaten here!
Although I went here last year, it's telling that I still remember every single dish of my meal.
Yes it's expensive, but it's worth every penny. I've don't think I've ever been so mesmerized by food.
Nestled in the ye olde village of Bray, you'd never guess that this place was a where food meets the science experiment. Tucked inside a house off the quaint high street, the neutral room itself is small and hushed. No drunken antics here. There is a very high ratio of staff to customers but they never impose and sweep gracefully and quietly through the room.
We opted for the tasting menu - which I highly recommend for the "full experience". From the vat of liquid nitrogen wheeled over to our table for the amuse bouche, to the palate cleansing sherbet fountain to the "breakfast" dessert (small bowl of parsnip cereal, bacon and egg ice cream) - every dish was like a quirky piece of art.
Don't get me wrong - this wasn't a meal of huge plates with small smears of food where you leave ravenous and have to rummage through the mini bar back at your hotel afterwards- we were completely stuffed. This is innovation at its best. If you're a foodie, you should make a pilgrimage here at least once (as well as Alain Ducasse in Paris and El Builli). After Oohing and Aahing our way through the sitting we left thoroughly content – and extremely excited by all the brilliant ideas.
We also opted for the matching wine with our tasting menu, but personally I would advise against this unless you don't mind drinking sake and sherry (alongside reds and whites) as these were paired with some of the earlier dishes.
Note: Reservations are taken 2 months in advance, so be ready to hit speed dial early in the morning to secure a table.
15-02-08
Tags:
haute cuisine, innovation, science
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Can it get more expensive? - Super dooper pricey. Good, but Heston Blooming-marvellous is not quite worth £300 for lunch for 2 people with a glass of shampoo each.
To be honest, you have to go to say you have. Or at least you did when it was renowned for being 'the best in the world' or even 'second best in the world'.
Don't get me wrong - it was a totally ace experience, mustard ice cream sounded terrible but every course was incredible - bright flavours and invetive cuisine - it was impressive. But still, over-priced.
Kids do not belong in resturants like this and I didn't go for idea that it's okay to being your toddler complete with train-set to a place like this 'just because you can afford it'. Don't. Other people come for special occassions and would prefer not to see or hear your kids.
A great place for a weekend night out in Bray but be prepared to spend a lot of money. If that doesn't bother you, you will enjoy the culinary experience.
Otherwise stick to London for amazing nights out, really this place is just showing off.
01-11-07
Tags:
bizarre, expensive, showing off
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