Bray, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

Is Heston Blumenthal’s world-famous HQ starting to look “a bit old hat”? Or is it just “too bloody expensive”? What’s for sure is that over half of reporters commenting on this renowned ex-pub now nominate it as their most overpriced meal of the year, while only a quarter say it was their best. Truly, it’s “a unique gastronomic experience, unlike any other”: “more of an event than a meal” (“it’s a long evening”), with a series of courses “very theatrically presented” based on your past experiences (as researched at the time of booking). To a majority, it’s “Alice in Wonderland on steroids” and in a good way – “yes, absurdly expensive” (“half the price would be too much!”), but not the disappointment we had feared: “joyful, engaging and oddly emotional…”, with “exquisite tastes and textures, extraordinary flavours and surprising sensory phenomena…”, “…in short we loved it; a bravura performance all round”. But even those who “fared very well on the food” can feel that “it would not be for everyone, as the approach is somewhat a production line, with neighbouring tables either behind or ahead in their journey to Cornwall or wherever”. And “the dining room is very stark which detracts from the ambience”. And then there are the few folk who plain loathe the whole set-up. “This place is a performance art commentary on capitalism. If you’ve ever read ‘120 Days of Sodom’ and want to eat something that gives you the same feeling as that book, come here!”.