Got a reservation at The Fat Duck. Flight of wines?

[edh]

I'd definitely go with the wine tasting selection - It really enhances the food & there were some very interesting matches.
There were 3 different wine tasting options when I went 2 years ago - the most expensive was more than the food. (we went for the cheapest)

It's an amazing evening out, and the most fun I've ever had at a restaurant. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in food who likes a bit of an adventure.

We stayed at a very nice B&B nearby, can't remember the name. Only trouble was we couldn't do justice to the enormous, and very nice, breakfast.

[AshBurrows]

^ Could you look up where that was please? The previous hotel mentioned seems to have gone down the pan.

Mr Trophy said:

How far in advance can you book?

3 months. On the first Wednesday of each month.
ie: Book April 6th to go any time in June.

[edh]

Couldn't resist checking the website...

Looks like they have plenty of tables for 4 available in March & April, but none for 2

[edh]

we stayed here

http://beadvr.wix.com/sunnycottagebandb
Short taxi ride away

Also stayed at Monkey Island once, didn't really like it, but it was 12 years ago.

[Don]

Zeemax_Mini said:

I've been and the wine pairing was just as much of an experience as the food (coming from someone who doesn't drink a huge amount of wine). You won't be disappointed!

Don, I live nearby - are you staying in one of the Bray cottages?

Dom

Yes, we are. They look lovely. Mrs Don is looking forward to that, too...

[sidicks]

Gee, you guys aren't helping....

edh said:

I'd definitely go with the wine tasting selection - It really enhances the food & there were some very interesting matches.

Followed by:

edh said:

We stayed here

http://beadvr.wix.com/sunnycottagebandb
Short taxi ride away

Cost only £110.

But then:

thebraketester said:

Never done fat duck but plenty of other tasting menus. I don't think you'll miss out by not having the flight of wine. (And I love wine)

And I do need to be back home early (ish) on the Saturday...

I guess I can decide once I can definitely get a table!

[edh]

No point in doing it by halves... I think you will regret it, and it's not a place you're likely to go to regularly.

Even if you can justify the costs, the menu doesn't change very often. There were some dishes still on the menu that we'd eaten on our first visit ten years earlier.

[Output Flange]

Don said:

Yes, we are. They look lovely. Mrs Don is looking forward to that, too...

They are - we've stayed in two of them. Just beware the low beams!

[ambuletz]

Puggit said:

... We spent £1250

i always wonder to myself at expensive places like that, how much would it have all costed in ingredients (minus expensive alcohol).

[Output Flange]

Ingredients cost will be relatively small compared to the labour cost of preparing it - bear in mind some of the components on a dish can take 3+ days to make.

[5potTurbo]

Output Flange said:

Ingredients cost will be relatively small compared to the labour cost of preparing it - bear in mind some of the components on a dish can take 3+ days to make.

True, but that's not 6 chefs doing fook all else EXCEPT watching over 1 dish item for 3 days solid. If it is, they need to sort themselves out!

[Output Flange]

5potTurbo said:

True, but that's not 6 chefs doing fook all else EXCEPT watching over 1 dish item for 3 days solid. If it is, they need to sort themselves out!

Sure, but IIRC there are about 100 chefs across the Fat Duck and its Dev kitchen. I doubt many of them work for free!

[tomtom]

I went to the newly reopened Fat Duck last autumn. The wine pairing was something like £150 each. I'd say do it. You don't exactly eat there every day, the wine selection was very nicely done and it's not THAT much more... Ahem.

By the way it was excellent. Enjoy!

[lauda]

Output Flange said:

5potTurbo said:

True, but that's not 6 chefs doing fook all else EXCEPT watching over 1 dish item for 3 days solid. If it is, they need to sort themselves out!

Sure, but IIRC there are about 100 chefs across the Fat Duck and its Dev kitchen. I doubt many of them work for free!

I'm pretty sure I remember reading that there are more staff than customers during service at The Fat Duck. I also heard Heston say that The Fat Duck doesn't make any money and it's his other ventures and books/TV that generate the profits.

[thebraketester]

The argument of cost vs price is invalid. Thats how business works.

Go to a certain burger place in London and you'll pay 20 quid... ingredients probably cost 3-4quid if that.

[AshBurrows]

lauda said:

I'm pretty sure I remember reading that there are more staff than customers during service at The Fat Duck. I also heard Heston say that The Fat Duck doesn't make any money and it's his other ventures and books/TV that generate the profits.

I read this too. Same for ultra violet in Shanghai which is ~£500 a head iirc. Anyone been? That's next on the list for me after the fat duck.

[Mr Trophy]

Sorry to bump this thread.

Would it be madness to stay in the centre of London, whilst going to the fat duck for dinner?

It's saying it would be 42 minutes to get there?

(Not a Londoner)

Thanks

[prand]

Mr Trophy said:

Sorry to bump this thread.

Would it be madness to stay in the centre of London, whilst going to the fat duck for dinner?

It's saying it would be 42 minutes to get there?

(Not a Londoner)

Thanks

Plenty of people come from London, usually by car (big E&S Classes clog up the street in Bray at closing time), but beware traffic from London. 42 mins could stretch indefinitely at the wrong time of day and it won't be cheap. Else you have to catch a train to M/head then cab it, which would certainly longer than 42 mins.

I'd aim to stay in Windsor, lots of options there and you can have a mooch around the town as part of the trip.

We went to the Fat Duck a few years back, had the wine flight - very good it was too, though Mrs P kept having top ups and had probably the most expensive vomit in Heston's loos upstairs after the meal!

[Ynox]

+1 for staying in Windsor rather than Maidenhead.

If you really wanted Maidenhead - there's a Holiday Inn too...

[Bullett]

Mr Trophy said:

Sorry to bump this thread.

Would it be madness to stay in the centre of London, whilst going to the fat duck for dinner?

It's saying it would be 42 minutes to get there?

(Not a Londoner)

Thanks

Yes, that would be madness. I can understand it if you live in London (and 42 minutes sounds highly optimistic to me) but if travelling to go there stay more locally.

And do the wine flight.