The Fat Duck "Gastronomic Restaurant" Review

I will upgrade to 5 stars when we were there in June but Mr. Heston B. I Love your tv Show and the Way you are ...... you the best Cook that i ever see

Not somewhere I could or would go to every week but what a magnificent example of what is possible with food both visually, texturally and more importantly taste wise. Simply some of the most stunning food dishes and ideas I have ever come across. I have wanted to visit for some time and we had the tasting menu at lunch and it was an afternoon of magical culinary revelations. Everyone who loves food must visit The Fat Duck at least once!

Really amazing food. A once in a lifetime experience.

Amazing experience, don't want to spoil it so won't say more. Just be aware the current menu has a lot of fish.

Foie Gras means diseased liver = from ducks force fed food thru' tubes to their stomachs, resulting in their livers becoming painfully engrossed.Hester supports this suffering.

One of our group of friends decided he wanted to go here for his birthday, so four of us booked and pre-paid... 4 months ahead. Tonight was the night, starting at 20:15 and scheduled to end at 23:30. In reality it ended at 00:15, so was 4 solid hours of guided Michelin-starred dining experience by Heston and his army.

I'd decided not to read more than just the basics, as I didn't want to spoil the surprise of the story, etc, which turned out to be a good decision. Having it all unfold before me was a delight.

It's difficult to review without revealing too much, as it's a mix of culinary wizardry, science, and theatre. Suffice to say each course/step, and each aspect of them, was unexpected, amazing, and progressed the story nicely. The attention to detail in what was put in front of us was spectacular.

Oh, the wine tome should be perused when offered. While there are relatively cost effective and wine pairing options available, there are also OTT options if that's your thing. (For example, there are multiple 5-figure sum bottles on offer).

Lastly, the front of house staff. Beginning with the doorman who walked out to greet us when dropped off by our taxi, over the course of the evening we interacted with 8 or more different people. Every one of them was friendly and professional while keeping the tone light and welcoming.

It's like no meal or dining experience I've ever had. Highly recommended.

I had a superb time at this spot. We enjoyed the first-rate vibes and the meals. The staff members are super personal. I am content we eventually decided to try this place.

Love the way they make the meal personal according to our own experience.

Just amazing it was perfect in everway. The staff were exceptional. Heston and his team of chef's are simply the best when it comes to driving your senses and taste buds completely wild. I couldn't stop smiling from the we walked in. Pure Magic. Cant wait ti come back next year for ours sons birthday. A memory we'll never forget thankyou

simply the best. although there is nothing simple about it.

A rollercoaster ride, with every course messing about with common sensorial experiences, and creating an expectation that is always surpassed and that prepares for the next one, consistently fulfilled with bewilderment. The accompanying wines were also otherworldly and the service was, not unexpectedly, simply perfect.
Price tag is hefty but, to my amazement, afterwards I couldn't help thinking that it was worth to the last penny.
What an afternoon that was!

The food was amazing. It's more akin to going to the theatre than going out for a meal. The management though were not very helpful. We had a member of our party that couldn't come as their mother had just died. We were told that we still had to pay in full for her but they refused to serve their food for the rest us to share. We were told to like it or get lost. Not a great policy.

Very expensive but worth the money, never had so much fun eating food haha was absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!

Just simply the best dining experience I have ever had. I went to this thinking I was going to think it was great but expensive experience. When you actually see what goes into this extraordinary gastronomic experience of 17 different dishes I came away with the firm opinion that it was incredibly good value for money. I cannot recommend this enough. Bravo.

Greatest food experience ever,you have to see it personally!

Best experience in the world !! Completely perfect!

I mean this has been an experience... I'm not gonna lie, it was Strange! Took us 10 minutes to just find the door! But from there on, it was just a weird journey of odd textures, flavours and food in a way I had not seen prepared before. More

Very good experience, too expensive for what it is.

A unique experience that (as the three Michelin stars put it) is really worth the trip - 17 beautifully presented courses, attentive, courteous, not distant, but approachable and confident service. No superfluous chichi, but concentration on the food - with individual outliers ("ground fog" from dry ice, "sound of the sea" via headphones to the fish passage).

So much fun with food and the service is impeccable

Simply a perfect dining experience from start to finish. Particular stand-out courses was the delicious dessert that looks like a bunch of grapes, and the Mad Hatter's tea party for sheer bonkersness. It's clearly a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience, but if you can scrimp and save to afford it, it's really worth it!

Loved our meal here definitely a gastronomic experience.. sort of occasion that you either like or don't. I loved it.

Experience is very good
Staffs are nice and funny enough
But food are not really great and prices is too expensive

Over priced place, but with an interesting theatrical food presentation and service.

The journey is a fantastic experience. One to never forget. Caters to all dietary requirements including vegetarian and vegan

After the build up of years of fantastic reviews and TV coverage, we were thrilled that The Fat Duck lived up to the fanfare. Having been nervous that we might feel out of place, the wonderful staff (15 cooks & 15 waiters to 40 guests) ensured we were made to feel thoroughly welcome from the moment we arrived, with lovely little touches to make our anniversary lunch all the more magical. The food was incredible and the whole 4.5hr feast fantastically fun - what a relief that Heston never listened to anyone insisting you shouldn't play with your food! There's no denying that this isn't ever going to be described as a 'cheap' experience but, as a one-off treat and considering the incredible attention to detail (and months of preparatory work behind every dish), we felt it was definitely worth it for us.

One of the best places to eat if you are a food connoisseur and a unique experience

Wonderful experience and wonderful staff. Booked this for my husband's 30th and it was such a treat. Worthy of its three stars, and Johnny Lake is a legend. If you have time and the weather is nice it's lovely to have a stroll around Bray too. Thoroughly lovely.

Amazing.
Had never eaten so good.
Phantastic food(so much Flavours!), Lovely service, & a wonderful Journey.
Had a wonderful day in the fat duck!

Extraordinary. Service was faultless and the plates and presentation very clever. The food is amazing, but mainly for the ingenuity involved in its preparation rather than how it tastes. The wine pairing was exactly what you hope for - introduces to plenty of new things but not just for novelty s sake and paired perfectly. Actually added one of them to my cellar. Overall very glad to have been, but it s a more of a one-off experience and wouldn t go again.

Nice experience with very friendly staff. There is a good reason they have their Michelin Stars. The food was simply perfect and the prices were alright

The experience is as far above a Michelin starred restaurant's tasting menu as that is above a KFC selection box.

**Do not recommend at all**
Never got to dine due to Covid 19 and would have loved to rebook but certainly will not now as we can not get our money refunded!
Absolutely shocked by their customer service or lack of it. Will not reply to our emails now and no sign of any refund!
Disgusted by it all

I took my husband to The Fat Duck for his 30th Birthday. We had a wonderful time the initial booking process was a little stressful you must be poised and ready to go as soon as tickets go on sale. But completely worth it.

This place is something you tick off your bucket list. We had such a nice time the food was interesting and delicious like nothing I've ever had before.

The personal touches that they go to aswell it's really something. So definitely worth filling out you questionnaire.

Our storyteller was Hannah and she was a real pleasure I felt very relaxed in her company. Infact all of the staff are of the highest quality their customer service skills were fabulous.

Would definitely recommend this place certainly worth a visit for a special occasion.

My sons and I had the most incredible evening, every course was a delight and delicious, there are lots of surprises in every sense! A very special and unforgettable 18th Birthday celebration!

Simply put, an amazing experience. Each dish is more than just the physical ingredients and there is clearly a lot of thought and consideration into the food preparation and presentation. We were the first to eat that night so each dish was a surprise as others looked on with curiosity. Costs more than your normal weeknight dinner but worth saving for it.

Incredible
It's hard to know where to start with a review of this place so I'm just going to mention my personal highlights.

I had a call a couple of weeks beforehand from the team and they asked a few interesting questions which were used to personalise bits of the meal - the highlight of this was the "toy" in the cereal box which was a small coin box you had to assemble - the logo of the university sports club where myself and my fellow diners originally met had been laser etched on the side of the box. This drew gasps from all of us and wasn't the only element they incorporated into the meal from the same inspiration.

It's a classic but my favourite course was probably "Sound of the sea" - the plate of food just looked like someone had scooped up a small bit of beach and arranged it nicely on the glass to the point that you didn't really want to put it in your mouth for fear of gritty sand but once you got over that and put it in your mouth it tasted amazing. I know there's not much skill in the preparation of sashimi compared to some dishes but the quality of ingredients shone through here too.

The other stand out for me was the desserts, as part of the main course we had "Botrytis" which had an amazing number of components that all went really well together. The "counting sheep" dish was light with everything very white served on a white cloud like plate with some of the components floating in the air in the centre of the table - even the lighting on the table changed at this point, a degree of control I doubt many other places have or even consider. Despite the seeming uniformity of the dish it had a number of great flavours that again all went very nicely together.

The theatrical flourishes were impressive too, my favourite was probably the mechanical sweetshop which delivered some of the petit fours, i'll not say much more though as I don't want to spoil the experience for others but it brought the story of the meal together and added a bit more personalisation.

Overall a great meal and an incredible experience, currently my best of all time!

This is a good restaurant because the staff is very kind!

Very creative and intricately designed food and a very personal experience. A true treat.

It's everything you've heard about the fat duck, food bordering on art, crazy combinations, clever staging, stunning flavours and prices to match.
4 stars because although I understand perfection can't be rushed it was a long old slog, we were in for nearly 4 hours. There were a lot of courses, many single bite affairs and I actually left hungry, something that has never happened in other Michelin venues I've been in.
I'm glad I did it once, won't be rushing back though.
The hinds head by Heston next door does the best scotch eggs and steak and I highly recommend.

The best meal you will ever have paired with outstanding service

Amazing, such attention to detail. Every course was a suprise, taste, presentation fabulous. service and staff friendly and informative. An experience not to be missed

Speechless and not putting any pictures, or it'll soil the surprise! Worth the wait and travel!

One of the most amazing culinary experiences in my entire life. No review will be able to explain it in words. You have to experience it with your own sensory organs.....all of them

The whole experience is an adventure, personally tailored to your own idea of happiness by the storyteller whom incorporates information you provide the restaurant prior to your visit into the dishes.

A great theatrical experience, but more theatre than restaurant

Wonderful experience. We dined many years ago but I still remember every detail

Cannot say enough about this experience.
It was a Bucket List item and one we are very happy we did.
Staff were excellent greeting us at the door and the food experience was one we will never forget.
They personalised the visit with touches of individual brilliance.
Very, Very Highly Recommended.

I've been to several 2-3 Michelin star restaurants across the world, but not one could compare to this incredibly personalized and delightful experience. The food and service were absolutely fantastic. But what made the experience unparalleled is having a storyteller who contacts you prior to your meal to learn stories about your childhood and ensures your journey is customized to your memories. Some useful advice: Payment is made upon booking, not including service charge or tax. Dedicate 4 hours to the meal. The restaurant entrance is marked with a drawing of a fat duck, you won't find the restaurant name. Bray is about 45 min from London by car, but give yourself extra time for traffic. And my final recommendation is: add this to your bucket list and do it.

Just left there and absolutely amazing!!! My only advice is you have to go! I honestly can't begin to explain how good the entire experience is, from start to finish it is out of this world. The attention to detail is beyond perfection and the staff are so welcoming & friendly and literally can't do anything more to make the experience unique and make you feel special, hand on heart if I could give 100 stars I would! I have some brilliant photos but don't want to spoil the surprise of the dishes for anyone

Excellent restaurant with a large wine list. Chef Heston blumenthal has designed a meal with takes you on a journey through shared flavours from your past. He engages your appetite through all you senses including visual and audio effects! An amazing experience if you are lucky enough to get a reservation in Bray!

Amazing dining experience. Wonderful atmosphere, food and wine. A must visit!

The Fat Duck offers so much more than diner; an amazing experience, a great story added to our lifes!

Fun dishes and emotional trips down memory lane, all is possible, if you are open to it!

all personell is great, thank you so much!

Phenomenal meal today. Liam & his team were perfect hosts. Thanks again for magical meal.

Amazing experience of a lifetime. Liam our host was superb what a fantastic place food was divine company was superb (thank you Mark)
This is one place you must visit it is an experienced you will never forget
Mytts

Food was amazing but we left our phone in the taxi they booked for us and could not get through to the Fat Duck to find the taxi firm to get our phone. This is crazy!is ruined or night.

The presentation and the story line for all the courses were amazing !! Some of the courses were delicious and well present; and made me want to revisit. However there were also a few courses that I totally did not like; therefore, I merely took a little taste leave it!

Absolutely fantastic one off experience, and at this price, I do mean once. My brother and I were celebrating a major birthday and booked well ahead. We chose the wine tasting to accompany each course. Wow! That was a lot of drink over the five hour session. I loved the variation and story that came with each serving along with detailed information about the wine. I'm so pleased that we experienced this incredible feast and urge anybody who loves their food to save up and savour this wonderful place.

Just a wonderful experience from start to finish. Great service and food and of course the theatrical nature of the meal kept our party entertained for the entire 6(!) hour meal.

Best and most eclectic meal I have experienced. Worth every penny

There are no words. Like a amusement park experience for the senses.

One of kind experience. So expensive but I will never forget it.

Surprise after surprise. I would give 5 more stars if the system allows! Highly recommended!

The most immersive restaurant I've ever been to - incredible

Very disappointing - save your money and go elsewhere.
After all the years of hype and media attention, I was excited for something that was going to blow my mind. It was mediocre. The theater of the dinner and the staff were good, but for that price, I wanted everything to be perfect - most importantly the taste, the drinks, and the ambiance.
The greeting when we got to Bray, and the welcome was lovely and friendly.
We went to have a drink at the pub next door - also super.
When we got to sit down, everything seemed to slow down and to be overplayed. The staff overselling of the most fabulous dish to come next, which never seemed to come - meaning it was never as good as the staff made it out to be.
The memorable dish was probably the beetroot macaroon.
I was very much looking forward to the chicken liver and truffle dish - the bread was soggy, and could not tell where the actual chicken liver was.
Randomly, we were invited to Kind Charles' feast - a nice idea as a royalist, but the beef was lacking taste, was a bit rubbery (on purpose?) and the veg soggy too (was supposed to be lovely green beans - crispy I should think).
The other dishes were non-descript and not memorable.
The dessert was very memorable as it was almost inedible. The theme of the bedtime was overplayed - pillow spoons smelling like baby powder...? The pillow with the meringues on it - no taste. and then the curd and different white plated bits on the plate...nothing to write home about.
Really sorry to write this, but it was generally was the whole table felt.

I had hairs in my beget! PLUS!!! I got kicked out for requesting dog meat!!! absolutely disgusting!

Although it is very expensive, the meal was amazing. Staff were fabulous.

Booked Fat Duck for my birthday and wasn't disappointed. Its a hefty bill and they certainly work to earn it! The atmosphere is fantastic and the entire experience certainly first class. All the food tastes amazing and after 5.5 hours my party and I were certainly very satisfied

Went there with my husband-i must say the food was just amazing and really great service.

We will be back very soon. Well done

An amazing experience. Something so unforgettable that I recommend everyone to experience atleast once. I cannot wait until our next visit!

Snail porridge rocks.

What a transporting experience. What an amazing story.

We were flexible with our dining dates and times and we were lucky enough to get a table for 4.

Not everyone was into the playful nature of their storytelling but the work that goes into researching and concocting each dish is phenomenal.

Highly recommended.

took ages to book but the meal was nice. Great service

Whilst it is no doubt a gastronomic experience and certainly something that is extraordinary, with amazing staff and attention for detail, it is still difficult to justify the cost - not only is the individual ticket expensive, you then have to pay for drinks and so on when you arrive plus another 12.5% service charge on top of everything as well... Incredibly difficult to justify hence the lower score. But we couldn't fault the staff and we did have a lovely time regardless.

Food was incredible. Five star service! Make sure you go!!!!

Exclusive cuisine! Restaurant certainly lived up its three stars rating. Love it and I would love to visit again.

AMAZING!!!
Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the experience from when we pulled up outside and were greeted at the car to when we left there 5 hours later!
The staff were fantastic and made us feel very welcome and comfortable!
It s not just a meal it is an experience but the food was phenomenal.
Would highly recommend going, for a once in a lifetime trip it s worth the money!

The food journey was more than we could of imagined. The flavours were mind blowing. Melissa how story teller was exceptional.

This is, without doubt, the best restaurant I ve ever had the privilege of dining with in my life. It isn t just a place that serves great food, but a rabbit hole that brings you on a gastronomic adventure like no other. Impeccable service, understated yet classy ambience, mind blowing food (that left me going - how in the world did they do this? for all seventeen courses), expertly-paired wine. It s simply the best dining experience I ve ever had.

Visit for the theatrics and fame but not for the food as for us, this is why it s a 3 star, which again for us is why we would not return.
Decor also is not great.
Village is amazingly pretty.

It's not a restaurant, it's just a complete experience

Amazing AMAZING amazing!!! Definite bucket list place you have to go!

It truly is an unforgettable experience. The staff and the food are amazing. I didn't like one course because it was a bit too earthy for my liking. My entree from the menu was very similar to a previous course which spoilt the experience slightly. Apart from that everything was spectacular. (Don't spoil the experience by going to YouTube etc.! It's better when everything is a surprise)

Absolutely the best dining 'experience' in the world. Yes it is an 'experience' (or what Fat Duck called a journey), it's much more than a good meal! Have to experience yourself to believe how good it is! This is my 2nd time eating there and it still blows my mind off!