The story
At The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal’s three-Michelin-starred Bray institution, the tasting menu is as much a feat of imagination as it is of cooking. As reviewer “Cosa mangiamo oggi?” notes, the experience is a “playful and multisensory tasting menu that is both fun and substantive,” though the intimate, dimly lit space can make filming a challenge. Courses like the Nitroaperitif, Sound of the Sea, Aerated Beetroot, and a Walk in the Woods are designed to engage more than just the palate, making for a genuinely memorable journey.
The finale is no less theatrical: a coin-operated wooden house dispenses sweets that, according to the same creator, were “hit or miss.” Standouts include the Tobacco Chocolate and Queen of Hearts Raspberry Jam Card, while the Sweet Sake Rice Bowl goes unmarked. Whether every flavor lands or not, the sheer inventiveness of Blumenthal’s menu—complete with theatrical presentations and multisensory surprises—cements this as one of Britain’s most remarkable tasting experiences.
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2023.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 17 dish mentions say about the food
The Fat Duck’s most-praised dish, “Drop of Sap,” is a tiny, transcendent burst of woodland flavor. Reviewers agree the entire meal feels like a playful, edible fairy tale.
“You lift the lid of your teapot and place a drop of sap into it. It slowly dissolves a frankessence and venison consommé. It has a gelly texture. It's melting. It's actually a hot meat broth. Very good.”
What creators say
2 creators have covered The Fat Duck. Most active: Cosa mangiamo oggi?
- Cosa mangiamo oggi?Loved
A pranzo al ristorante THE FAT DUCK di HESTON BLUMENTHAL, 3 stelle Michelin ⭐⭐⭐ · @ 0:24
The Fat Duck is an incredible three-Michelin-star restaurant by Heston Blumenthal, offering a playful and multisensory tasting menu that is both fun and substantive, though the intimate and dimly lit setting can make filming challenging.
Dishes mentioned
Nitroaperitif
This is a meringue cooked at minus 196 degrees in liquid nitrogen. It's crunchy on the outside, hard, and vanishes in the mouth as if it were liquid. Super refreshing. As you put it in your mouth and bite it, it practically disappears.
Aerated Beetroot
It's a macaron with beetroot, mascarpone, and horseradish. It's crunchy. The beetroot is strong but so is the horseradish. Super pleasant. Very light. I didn't expect that. Rated 10.
Yellow Punch
It's a sorbet of butternut and ginger, compressed apple, pickled fennel, charred cucumber, and a vibrant juice of yellow pepper, yellow capsicum, yellow carrot, and a touch of green chili. Very fresh, salty, and sweet at the same time, with crunchy parts. Delightful. The chili is not felt in its spicy aspect, you feel more the aroma, not the spiciness.
Umami Sake Rice Bowl
First of all the scent is umami, in the sense that it tastes like parmesan. There is an alternation of creamy, crunchy, salty textures, with hints of acidity that enhance the umami flavour. But it's yummy.
Sound of the Sea
This is one of the Fat Duck's most iconic dishes. Sound plays a key part in the experience. You wear headphones and immerse yourself in the sounds of the sea. The dish has a foam that feels like waves crashing on the beach, and a loamy, sandy part that is the beach, with fish and vegetables on top. You eat it entirely. It's very good. The sand is made from tapioca and the foam also contains mushrooms. It could risk being pretentious, but it's an outstanding dish.
- Cosa mangiamo oggi?Loved
Le caramelle 3 stelle Michelin di HESTON BLUMENTHAL ⭐⭐⭐🍬🍭🍫#thefatduck #ristorantestellato · @ 0:00
The Fat Duck offers a playful and theatrical end to the meal with a coin-operated wooden house full of sweets, though some flavors were hit or miss.
Dishes mentioned
Casetta di Legno con Dolcetti
At the end of the meal, they bring you a little wooden house where you have to insert a coin, and then a drawer opens with sweets. We start with an envelope and a white chocolate card — look how cool! Queen of Hearts toffee, and you have to eat the card too. Another toffee, banana flavour, and this one I chose myself — it actually tastes like tobacco, no, it tastes like chocolate. Then there's this one, also chosen by us, but I don't remember what it is. You pick these sweets based on the playing cards you choose at the start. This one is chocolate, tastes like flowers. Then we have these that look like soft Fruit Joy candies — you can't resist, you have to chew, you have to, you have to. But honestly, my Fruit Joy tasted like fish.
