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It looks interesting, but possibly a little fussy for my uncouth northern tastes.
Anyone been - is it good?
I looked into it, but £160 a head plus drinks put me and my uncouth northern [s]Wallet[/s] tastes off. Would love to go though!
Find somewhere decent closer to home. Whereabouts oop north are you?
I'd love to go. I've got to say, Masterchef has been brilliant, but this is just incredible. Really creative, interesting food.
Need a meal before you go. I'd come out hungry if I didn't.
If you can afford to spend that sort of money on a meal, then go for it.
Whereabouts oop north are you?
Perthshire
I think it looks in-sodding-credible.
Honestly, I think £160 is a snip for food of that quality, artistry and originality.
I've not been to the Fat Duck but we went to his pub, The Hinds Head, which is just along the road from the Fat Duck and it was incredible.
I'm not normally one for all the fancy poncey food that they do in the tv programmes but the food in there was fantastic, possibly the best food I've tasted.
It wasn't too expensive either, cost us about £300 for meals and drinks for 5 of us.
looked like food for ****ers to me, if some **** with a broom up his shirt has to tell you how to eat it they've gone too far.
[url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/dec/05/fat-duck-restaurant-noroviris-outbreak ]Stay away[/url]
I went to a restaurant that does this kind of stuff, an ex-staff member, had a 6 course taster and I was hungry afterwards. dissapointing.
Not been the the Fat Duck myself but would love to go, and will do one day.
If you're oop north and fancy something similar (though not quite as spectacular) then give Simon Rogan's restaurant [url= http://www.lenclume.co.uk/sr/restaurant.html ]L'enclume[/url] a try. Its in Cartmel (south of the Lakes) and well worth a visit. Not as eye-wateringly expensive as the FD, though not cheap by any stretch, and you're much more likely to get a booking.
I'd go, and my missis keeps dropping hints.
Have been to Sat Bains in Nottingham and had the "chefs table" where Sat and his team bring out each of 13 courses and explain where the produce is from, and how it is prepared.
Also had the wine package with our own sommelier who brought a different wine to match each course. Sounds a bit poncy, but it was incredible how tasting a wine before the food, and then after, really brought out complementary flavour.
I still reckon that at just shy of £200 a head it was actually the best value meal I've ever had. It surprises me to say that, but it's true.
So, if you can afford the trip, and don't mind the journey, go for it.
Watching Masterchef makes you feel that it could well be money well spent for a special treat. I was lucky enough to go to Waterside round the corner and that was amazing. We then walked past the FD and peered through the windows like little kids.
L'Enclume does get good reviews including this recent one:
£89 makes it "seem" good value!!
My inlaws in their retirement have been doing the Michelin circuit.
They thoroughly enjoyed it there, different but still good.
We were bought back some of the sweets. Yummy.
But I couldn't get the tobacco to light when I rolled it in a rizla.
Yes I went but it was about 10 years ago, before it became "famous".
It was good back then, but really it was still a "gastro pub" and for that I liked it, but now?? Now all he pinkies have been ?
Not too sure I'd go again, Shirley there's somewhere far better near where you live ( as the FD isn't [u]that[/u] fantastic )
I've been - it was amazing. You're not hungry after circa 14 courses!
Great experience, and one of those places that is great once, but not sure if it's worth a return visit for at least 10 years as the menu doesn't change that much.
Food theatre - I really enjoyed it.
Nick
Honestly, I think £160 is a snip for food of that quality, artistry and originality.
SADLY PROBABLY DOWN THE ROAD THERE ARE PEOPLE LIVING ROUGH, OR SURVIVING ON FOOD BANK HANDOUTS.
Just perhaps donate the money you would have spent on making a wealthy man even more wealthy,on making a hungry family less hungry, and get a real sence of helping somebody in need.
Lets just embrace communism and eat gruel eh project!
He hasn't got 3 frigging stars for nothing!
Project, how much did you spend on your;
Computer
Bike(s)
Lunch
Etc
Get off your high horse, eh?
[i]Just perhaps donate the money you would have spent on making a wealthy man even more wealthy,on making a hungry family less hungry, and get a real sence of helping somebody in need. [/i]
Ignoring the fact that maybe I have done just that, how much money have you spent on things that you don't actually need, that could otherwise have gone to a more worthy cause?
Get over yourself.
SADLY PROBABLY DOWN THE ROAD THERE ARE PEOPLE LIVING ROUGH, OR SURVIVING ON FOOD BANK HANDOUTS.
Not in Bray there aren't. But your point is taken.
He's got a horse? They cost a fortune, eat the beast I say.
[i] But your point is taken.[/i]
Not by me it's not, but then I've never been a fan of hypocrisy.
Heston's Hind's Head is nice, if simpler food is your thing. Prob not worth a long trip though, as it doesn't have the 'wow'!
I've been and would echo what nickb says. I've probably enjoyed cheaper meals as much but for me it is about the whole experience along with unique, delicious food. Think of it more as a day out than a meal but you certainly won't be hungry afterwards. It was a lot of money and would have been way more if we'd have had wine but I'm glad to have done it
Not eaten there, but eaten at quite a few Michelins, the good ones are value for money, the bad ones (tend to be London or posh areas) are just taking people for a ride.
I bet there's more people who earn a living from a Michelin restaurant ie staff, suppliers etc, than if you go to a McDonald's. Besides worked hard for my money and can spend it how I like 🙂
I went there a couple of months ago for a family do, it was very good and a real sense of occasion and theatre with the food, the meal itself took several (iirc nearly 4) hours and was both filling and nice, the service was exemplary, overall a very enjoyable meal
Not by me it's not, but then I've never been a fan of hypocrisy.
Yeah, man, like right on, brother! I assume the computer you're posting on tonight was free, otherwise you would have donated the money to starving waifs or something. Wouldn't you....
Rather have a chinky from round the corner.
Actually i think the gist of Project's point is fair. It's a heck of a load of money for a meal, there are people in this country starving, and you could feed a lot of them with £160.
I think if you can afford to eat at places like this very often, then just maybe you should think about forgoing once in a while and doing something charitable with the money you didn't spend; but equally I'll defend the right to spend that sort of money once in a while as a treat. Or spend it on beer, computers, marching powder, bikes or whatever else you want to spend it on. It's a free country and we make our choices, and you don't need to defend them to me if you don't want to (or put another way, simply saying 'I earned it, I'll spend it how I want' is fine with me)
😯 at Steve
L'enclume
****in Yeeeaaaaah.
To frank, michelin star food is well worth it, even moreso Heston, Ferran Adria and their ilk. Go on, you know you want to...
Have you seen how many chefs The Fat Duck employs, Project? And the farmers etc who supply it? Almost certainly a more ethical way to feed yourself than via the multinationals, if you can afford it.
I went to a pop-up restaurant run by one of last year's Masterchef The Professionals' finalists a few months ago. £45/head for the set (only) menu, I don't have much money and it was possibly the best value meal I've ever eaten (and certainly the best).
Flash,I think IHN is agreeing with you
@funkydunc which michelins did you go to that you found bad? I'm pretty interested/intrigued
I love good food and have been to a couple of Michelins. Those who say they are a waste of money or feel hungry afterwards don't get it anymore than non cyclists who don't understand paying more than £200 for a push bike.
Always thought Heston was a bit novelty before watching mc tonight but it was fascinating even if you think the program is guff.
Deffo worth it for me because 1 great meal >>> 10 shit takeaways.
Actually >>> 100 shit takeaways.
In fact, **** the takeaways!
@cheersdrive went to Tamarind last month and it was a disappointment.
[i]Flash,I think IHN is agreeing with you[/i]
Yeah, I thought we were on the same side too 😕
It is a lot of money, and there are far more 'worthy' uses for that money. There are equally far more worthy causes for the much greater amounts of money that most of us spend on bikes (or even bits of bikes, or multiple bikes), but I don't see anyone being shouted down for spending £400 on a pair of wheels...
Deffo worth it for me because 1 great meal >>> 10 shit takeaways.
Yes, I'd rather eat out once a year and pay rather than eat some of the stuff we've eaten in "restaurants" and "home cooked food pubs" this year.
In fact me and my lad did a trip last half term and ate out for four days and nights. Most of the food was cr_*_p.
bruneep - MemberNeed a meal before you go. I'd come out hungry if I didn't.
edhornby - MemberI went to a restaurant that does this kind of stuff, an ex-staff member, had a 6 course taster and I was hungry afterwards. dissapointing.
😯 You paid that amount to get hungry?
IHN, sorry! Lack of sleep plus a curry and a beer has addled my brain! No offence meant, I assure you! Just didn't read things right! 🙂
In fact me and my lad did a trip last half term and ate out for four days and nights. Most of the food was cr_*_p.
Well, you just ate in shit places then, really. I rarely have a bad meal "out", and mainly because I like to choose a nice place to eat.
[quote=IHN ]
It is a lot of money, and there are far more 'worthy' uses for that money. There are equally far more worthy causes for the much greater amounts of money that most of us spend on bikes (or even bits of bikes, or multiple bikes), but I don't see anyone being shouted down for spending £400 on a pair of wheels...
+1
It has to come down to an individual choice. For me, £400 would be an obscene amount of money to spend on a couple of meals. Maybe that's because I just wouldn't be able to/have pretensions about appreciating it enough. At the same time, there will be things I would spend that amount of money on that many other folk might consider trivial, wasteful or unnecessary,
I don't see anyone being shouted down for spending £400 on a pair of wheels...
True. But the point I'm making is that if I buy a £400 pair of wheels, it'll be something I've worked hard for and likely will be the only pair I'll buy for a couple of years. If I was rich enough to buy a pair a month, I'd struggle to think that that's OK, I should probably look to do something better with the excess cash.
Well, you just ate in shit places then, really. I rarely have a bad meal "out", and mainly because I like to choose a nice place to eat.
Cycling point to point 50+ miles a day unless it's round London is unlikely to give "choices" luvvy.
If I spend £160 on a meal out, it'll be something I've worked hard for and likely will be the only meal like that I'll buy for a couple of years. If I was rich enough to eat out like that once every month, I'd struggle to think that that's OK, I should probably look to do something better with the excess cash.
What if the folks spending £200 a head on a meal also give similar amounts to charity? Is it allowed that we enjoy ourselves then?
Edit: what ihn said +1
Ignoring some of what's written above, let me give you my view.
Me and Mrs Higs are not massively wealthy by any means but every now and again we like to splash out on a spectacular meal. We get a lot of pleasure from it.
We've eaten at 'Michelin' restaurants in the UK and abroad, the last being Gauthier which was just fabulous.
L'enclume is on our list because we're not far away and we fancy it.
The Fat Duck is on our list because we think it is probably the best food you can eat in this country. There is a lot of invention there and you could call it 'novelty' (as a lot of it is new) but Michelin inspectors don't hand out stars for novelty. They award stunning food.
IHN - that's pretty much what i said.
tomhoward - I'm OK with spending that much on a meal, whether you give similar to charity or not. If you've earned it, you're entitled to spend it as you like.
But it's when that becomes an ordinary thing to do, i'd struggle to justify spending that much on a meal routinely when you could do far better things with the money.
-> IMHO <-
[edit] If you're so rich you can afford to eat out like that routinely, and still be hugely philanthropic as well - I'm not sure on that. Does a few hundred a month make much difference if you're already (for sake of argument) donating 10's or 100's of thousand? On one hand you're giving plenty, on the other, every £160 is valuable. I don't have an answer to everything.
It's when you have enough disposable income that you can afford to spend big chunks on posh meals and bikes but in doing so don't put some of that aside to support charity or the like, i think that isn't right.
The question was have you been not can you justify it to a load of hypocritical, pious IT bores...
I had a weekend down there. Stayed at the Waterside and had dinner there then lunch next day at the Fat Duck.
Both very good in very different ways. Waterside typical French homage to food, Fat Duck bonkers food theatre. Not cheap but you know that when you go and no one forces you through the door.
It's probably one that if you have to ask 'is it worth it?' you probably shouldn't go.
The question was have you been not can you justify it to a load of hypocritical, pious IT bores
If you're going to be pedantic, the thread title is 'is it worth a trip?'
It's a forum, not a straight Q&A site. Since when has answering the question ever been important, we come here to shout opinions out until everyone else gives in.
Get a grip people, suggesting that people who can afford a £200 meal should donate a similar amount to charity is a sanctimonious notion from the mind of cretin. Unless you are removed from the production/consumer/capitalist society that we live in you are talking out of your arse. If you have opted out of society what are you doing on the Internet? Shouldnt you be knitting youghurt or something? And for that matter on a hive of middle management MTB upgrade angst, 'cheap' tablets and bean to cup coffee machines.
Any one know what a pop up is ?????????
[i]"I went to a pop-up restaurant run by one of last year's Masterchef The Professionals' finalists a few months ago. £45/head for the set (only) menu, I don't have much money and it was possibly the best value meal I've ever eaten (and certainly the best)." [/i]
I would also like to know where this place because £45 pp is great value.
Higgo save a place for me on your next posh nosh jolly 😀
Read about this Fat Duck and Waterside Inn Bray about fifteen years ago, had a couple of hours to kill in Bray, went for a wander and couldn't find either. Ended up having dinner in an American diner called Eddie Rockets's. Pretty good it was, but bit disappointed no to have found this gourmet place. Anyway, we got home the next day and it turns out there's a Bray in Berkshire too, not just the one South of Dublin I knew of!
LOL @ midlifecrashes
Now Midlife in Dublin you know you should have been in Shanahan's.... 🙂
pb2 - I think a pop up is a restaurant that exists just for the night
http://claire-hutchings.co.uk/the-kitchen-garden-cafe-pop-up-7th-8th-of-january/
I would also like to know where this place because £45 pp is great value.
[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/anyone-in-the-weymouth-vicinity-like-good-food ]My previous thread on this 'pop-up'[/url]
They were using a place that's a cafe during the day and normally shut in the evenings, so they share the kitchen for prep and then take over the whole place for the evenings. Allows you to open a restaurant for a few months with low investment and overheads. If she opens one near you, go!
[i]IHN - that's pretty much what i said.[/i]
Yeah, I think we're agreeing violently 🙂
Anyway, it's my 40th in 18 months and hints have been dropped as to where I'd like to celebrate it...
Check out the [url= http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g528798-d1571626-r147327298-The_Fat_Duck-Bray_on_Thames_Berkshire_England.html#REVIEWS ]TA reviews[/url] ... the first one was posted by a couple who spent £750/head for Xmas lunch 😯
Some friends went there about 2 years ago (back when they were a bit lush). Said it was the best meal ever and the same cost as their overseas holiday that summer!
We were thinking about trying the Fat Duck for our anniversary next April & saw the 'taster menu' (as he calls it) @ £195 a head. Know a few that have been over the years and each has said it's a real experience, not just food.
The Hand & Flowers is in the same neck of the woods & the food there is fantastic - well worth a visit if you don't want Heston's prices. The venison is mind-blowingly good there 🙂
Watching Masterchef makes you feel that it could well be money well spent for a special treat. I was lucky enough to go to Waterside
I took Mrs Kryton for the (what was then) "Romantic night away" package at the Waterside Inn, which is where I proposed to her, awwwww. We met Michel Rouge Jnr.
FWIW, excellent food, more champagne than I could shake a stick at, tour of the kitchen, and impeccable service, even a lobster which was de-shelled then replaced in a lobster shape on a silver platter in front of us. Fantastic champagne breakfast also.
P.S. If you do the same, don't hide the engagement ring in the car, forgetting the valet service will promptly whip the car away on your arrival... 😳
"Pop Up's" happen all the time in That Larndarn. Some of them are exceptional and others utter garbage, pop over to the top of Brick Lane, or indeed the Old Trumans Brewery building and you’ll find a few just around the corner in the Arches..
Now’t new that.
And we have Vans and Stalls that make/create exceptional food, and no, no they’re not Kebab Stands before you lot shout “we’ve got one of those too, burp”
Thing is, it’s hard to define good/bad ones. Queues around them often denotes a good un’ but we’ve eaten at a couple that have been just above Mutta Panear hell..
Still lots of good quality places to eat without spending £200 a head.. but like most things in life, “You pays yer money, you takes yer choice” Can’t influence the Punter.
Talking of which I spent a very long lazy weekend down at River Cottage early on in the year, now then if you are talking about quality of food, then I can recommend either Hugh’s Cottage or is Canteen in Axe. You don’t have to pay £200.00 for good quality food, but you do have to get there.. We stayed in Lyme which has a fabulous “boutique” hotel called No1 if anyone’s interested.
And a Michelin Star isn’t always a good sign of quality food.
Talking of which I spent a very long lazy weekend down at River Cottage early on in the year, now then if you are talking about quality of food, then I can recommend either Hugh’s Cottage or is Canteen in Axe. You don’t have to pay £200.00 for good quality food, but you do have to get there.. We stayed in Lyme which has a fabulous “boutique” hotel called No1 if anyone’s interested.
Nice idea that bb. Sounds more like my kind of thing tbh.
pb2 - I think a pop up is a restaurant that exists just for the nighthttp://claire-hutchings.co.uk/the-kitchen-garden-cafe-pop-up-7th-8th-of-january/
That's her! Bloody good chef!
I had dinner at the River Cottage HQ in the summer and it was lovely - very simple food but beautifully cooked and a great atmosphere.
I would still love to go to the Fat Duck though - i'm 40 in a few years so fingers crossed!
Thanks for the links to Claires website, I'm going to give one of her pop ups a go in the new year. Top job !
depending where in the North you are , Nutters in Rochdale does really good fine dining , not as wacky or as dear as fat **** but very innovative nevertheless and a decent amount of scran
1 meal/month at Fat Duck or similar is cheaper than a months worth of "generic high street coffee outlet" Fwappacrappachino and muffin/day - I know which I prefer to spend my cash on...........
It probably is worth it if food's your thing, as that Heston bloke seems pretty unique in what he comes up with.
Although for £160 a head, I'd expect some kind of spiritual or out-of-body experience, or witness some kind of Bibical miracle, rather than just a bit of food.
I'm not even going to try and understand why anyone thinks spending that much money on some food for 1 person is a good idea 😕
(He says, having just had a £3000 insurance claim just for a push bike) 😀
I'm not even going to try and understand why
Taste.
I think that's more or less what they're trying to offer. Anything that can get Michel Roux Jr shaking his head in amazement and saying "Wow, this is just incredible" must be pretty special. Although I doubt he had to shell out the £160.Although for £160 a head, I'd expect some kind of spiritual or out-of-body experience
The Fat Duck isn't the only restaurant with a molecular gastronomy menu so if you're not sure you'll appreciate that style you can start with a cheaper one. If someone wanted to get into biking you wouldn't tell them to start out by buying the best bike in the world
As long as you don't go hungry after the expensive meal then go for it even if it means £1K per head. Money should not be your limit if you call yourself food expert.
But what I don't get is that when you pay that amount to get hungry ... if that's the case they "see you coming" ...
It's basically up there with the very best in the world, and it's a few hundred quid. That doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
Best hotels in the world = £1000s per night
Hire the best car in the world for a day? Circa £20k to hire a Veyron.
Even the best tickets for the biggest sporting events, thousands of pounds.
By contrast, eat at one of the very best restaurants in the world... £200 plus service. Bit of a bargain in comparison.
It's become [b]the[/b] aspirational brand in Britain's second great hobby, eating. And used clever (free) marketing on Britain's other great hobby to get there.
And the £200-per-head cost is part of that marketing plan to keep it aspirational. The food may be good, probably excellent to be fair, but that's not the reason for the price.
I'd be interested to know if anyone goes regularly. A good test of whether a restaurant really is worth it is if you go back. If the food really is that good, you go again.
If it's not so much about the food, but boasting to Tarquin and Felicity at the golf club about the latest trip out in the Audi, then that box only needs one tick.
Taking a different tack on this after watching masterchef last night - do the processes take more 'goodness' out of the food than 'normal' cooking or does it make little difference? e.g. cooking onions for 96 hours in a plastic bag and vacum 'cooking' fruit. Just a question for those with more knowledge than me.
[i]A good test of whether a restaurant really is worth it is if you go back.[/i]
There were some folks on Masterchef last night who seemed to be regulars.
[i]And the £200-per-head cost is part of that marketing plan to keep it aspirational. The food may be good, probably excellent to be fair, but that's not the reason for the price.[/i]
I think the near 1-1 chef to customer ratio may be a strong factor in the price.
I found the Masterchef bit made the Fat Duck a bit too ****y for ****y's sake.
Of the series, I've found Tom Kerridge of the Hand and Flowers the most appealing of the Top Chefs. He comes across as a down to earth chap who makes good food to Michelin standard without all the pretension.
Next time I'm near Marlow I'm going