Inside The UK’s Quirkiest Fine Dining Experiences
We love great food here at The Handbook. Whether it’s a local haunt or a buzzy Michelin spot, we’re all for outstanding cuisine. That being said, we also really enjoy when a restaurant chooses to fuse brilliant gastronomy with unconventional dining concepts – whether it’s turning the space into a nightclub throughout the duration of the meal, or serving each course without any cutlery or plates. Call it playfulness, creativity, or colouring outside the lines, these places all offer something unique to the UK fine dining scene.
Punk Royale
What sets it apart: While located in Mayfair, Punk Royale is a gloriously refreshing fine-dining spot, rebuking the norms associated with white tablecloths, combining a brilliantly crafted 20+ tasting menu with house music, smoke machines, and a DGAF attitude.
From water served out of Absolut Vodka bottles to courses being literally spoon-fed to you by the Head Chef, Punk Royale oozes anti-establishment pizzaz while executing incredibly technical (and delicious) dishes.
Natasha, Digital Editor
WHERE: 6 Sackville St, London W1S 3DD
WEBSITE: www.punkroyale.com
Kebab Queen
What sets it apart: Tucked away underneath an unsuspecting kebab shop in Covent Garden is one of the most unique restaurant concepts you’ll find in the whole of London: an intimate chef’s table offering the world’s first plateless and cutlery-free fine dining. With Head Chef, Pamir Zeydan, at the helm, settle in for a night of pure gastronomic theatre. Expect to see ingredients squirted, flattened, dusted, and poured directly onto the table in front of you. Eat with your hands and, most importantly, enjoy a brilliant lineup of elevated Turkish, Kurdish, and Mediterranean cuisine.
If you love great cuisine, but the white tablecloth scene feels a bit stuffy for you, Kebab Queen is for you – it’s incredible food presented in a lively, fun, and intimate atmosphere.
WHERE: located Downstairs in le bab, 4 Mercer Walk, London WC2H 9FA
WEBSITE: www.eatlebab.com
The Clink
What sets it apart: Dining inside an HMP facility might not be on your bingo card for the year ahead, but it’s one to add. The Clink, located within HMP Frankland, is fast becoming a standout restaurant worth visiting. The menu is created and served by trainees working towards their City & Guilds NVQs in Food & Beverage Service, Professional Cookery and Food Hygiene. Even the leather upholstery and boardroom tables are crafted by people in the prison, while the poetry comes from Clink graduates.
Something to remember: bring physical ID and payment card – oh, and leave your phone in the locker outside.
WHERE: HMP Brixton, Jebb Ave, Brixton Hill, London SW2 5XF
WEBSITE: www.theclinkcharity.org
Supperclub Tube
What sets it apart: Following in the footsteps of our less-conventional fine-dining setting is Supperclub Tube. Each week, this spot brings together a single sitting per night for a 6-course Latin American-inspired menu using seasonal British produce. The most notable detail, though, is the location, with the meal served on a vintage 1967 Victoria line tube carriage, all against the backdrop of mood lighting and a carefully curated playlist.
The most notable detail, though, is the location, with the meal served on a vintage 1967 Victoria line tube carriage
WHERE: 10 S Access Rd, London E17 8AX
WEBSITE: www,supperclub.tube
Outside London
The Fat Duck
What sets it apart: Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck is referred to as a “renowned temple to innovative Modern British cuisine”. Ask any foodie in your orbit, and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about. Boasting three Michelin Stars and costing a pretty penny per person, this is an experience like no other.
One course might involve you putting on headphones so you can hear the sound of the sea while you explore a cured fish course, or having a gold leaf watch dissolved before your eyes with a mock turtle soup tea – whatever you order, there’s nothing ‘ordinary’ here.
Think: Charlie & The Chocolate Factory meets fine dining.
WHERE: High St, Bray, Maidenhead SL6 2AQ
WEBSITE: www.thefatduck.co.uk
