Harden's survey result
Summary
“It has to be done… and at the price it’s possibly a never-to-be-repeated experience… but what an experience – theatrical, magical AND delicious!” – Heston Blumenthal’s famously wacky temple of weird molecular gastronomy is entering its 30th year, and most reports say it’s “still an unforgettable and amazingly inventive experience”. Perhaps sensitive to the odd accusation that it can “feel a bit dated and a bit behind the likes of Core, The Ledbury and Row on 5” nowadays the rate of innovation has stepped up this year. A cheaper à la carte option has been reintroduced after an absence of many years (three courses for £255 per person); and there’s now ‘Mindful’ and ‘Journey’ menus (including iconic dishes of the last 30 years) for £275 and £350 per person respectively. Bad vibes about its cost-levels abated somewhat in this year’s annual diners’ poll – only 1 in 6 now consider it “overpriced”.
Summary
“More an experience than a meal out: an amazing trip with faultless service and a restaurant and kitchen running like clockwork” – that’s a convert’s take on Heston Blumenthal’s temple of bizarre molecular gastronomy, world famous for its outlandish culinary concoctions and wacky ideas (like listening to the sea on headphones as you eat seafood). Especially for a first-timer, it can seem “outstanding in all aspects”, and to be fair even many of its detractors do actually rate the kitchen’s creations here as outstanding. But that it delivers “gastronomic theatre rather than a meal out” leads to a view in some quarters that this is “a once-in-a-lifetime experience, rather than somewhere to return to” (and a reporter who did comment on a repeat visit found the second run lacked variety). Then there’s the perennial issue of the “outrageous” prices, which continue to be a major detractor for about one third of reporters and which foster a feeling among more sceptical diners that the whole schtick is a case of “emperor‘s new clothes” – (“at least paying in advance removes some of the shock of the astronomic cost”). Finally, the ambience of this converted pub is “difficult to score as the decor is minimalist and the room is dark”: it isn’t dire but it’s safe to say that it’s not a huge contributor to the event. None of the above is new, by the way – this is a similar review to the one featured in the guide for many of the last ten years… and the show marches on…
Summary
“Not only did it live up to the hype and our expectations… it exceeded them!” “The theatre of a meal at the Fat Duck is like nowhere else” and for many reporters the “absolute culinary sorcery” and showmanship at Heston Blumenthal’s converted pub in bijoux Bray make for a “once-in-a-lifetime culinary blow out”, with a dazzling array of dishes that are “either divine or merely mind boggling”. All that conjuring can fall flat though (“the science lab style, and focus on sounds and lighting actually detracted from what was probably exquisite food”); or equally it may not stand up to a repeat visit (“maybe I have been too often but the experience is becoming repetitive – we need some renewal!”). And then there’s the fact that for about one in three of our reporters, more prosaic matters of value for money intrude on their consciousness, and their main takeaway is: “how expensive was that!?” “Some courses were fantastic, others not so good, but to be honest I’ve had better food at other restaurants that didn’t charge us £1,200 for two people”.
Summary
“Was it a great meal? Yes it was. Was it a great meal for the price? I'm not so sure!". – In a nutshell, that’s the major conundrum nowadays at this world-renowned destination which coined the term ‘molecular gastronomy’ two decades ago. A converted pub in this most bijou of Thames Valley villages, it is still fronted by über-chef Heston Blumenthal, although nowadays owned by a relative. “Expensive (obviously!), idiosyncratic, much hyped and copied…” – devotees say it’s “an innovative assault on the senses and gastronomy that must be experienced at least once by any discerning gourmet”. “Currently celebrating 25 years, they have created four different tasting menus showcasing the greatest dishes of the last quarter century (… I just wish I could go back another three times to have tried them all!)”. But despite its golden oldie dishes (“excellent snail porridge of course, as was ‘The Sound of the Sea’”) some lucky enough to be regulars feel “the menu needs a refresh”. And any doubts that it deserves its top billing from Michelin are sharpened by the vertiginous pricing. A number of reporters feel that “there’s inventiveness throughout, lots of little tricks, but it feels like a place only to do once (if you strip aside the frippery I have to say I’ve eaten in two star places for half the price where the food was probably more consistently delicious)”. A similar less wowed report is also revealing on the same topic: “It is so unbelievably overpriced. For two with wine matching, it cost us around £1,200 all together. Results were really hit and miss – the courses were either great or disgusting (and not really any in between). I can’t say it’s a bad restaurant as there were some great courses. The key issue for me is that we ate at a number of Michelin one stars at a similar time, which we enjoyed far more, and you could have had almost four meals at those restaurants for the price of just one at the Fat Duck!!! We will not be returning. All brand name and the Michelin men are crazy to give it 3 stars”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Fat Duck?
High St, Bray, SL6 2AQ
Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £255.00 |  |
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| Drinks |
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|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £60.00 |
| Extras |
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|---|---|
| Service | 15.00% |
High St, Bray, SL6 2AQ
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9:15 pm |
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