Fat Duck * Bray

While doing some spring cleaning, I stumbled upon a goodie bag and menu from The Fat Duck, and realized I had never posted my impressions. This review is from their Sensorium menu, so it’s a bit dated, but the experience was so unforgettable that I thought it was still worth sharing.

A few months before our London trip, I was narrowing down restaurant choices. I debated between The Clove Club, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and whether we could manage a detour to Bray. I’m so glad we did—The Fat Duck ended up being one of the most memorable dining experiences of our entire trip.

Here’s a quick rundown of the dishes, in the order they were served:

Nitroaperitif – The meal started with a dramatic bang: a liquid nitrogen cocktail made of Vodka Sour, Piña Colada, and Paloma.

Aerated Beetroot – Beetroot with a light mascarpone cream.

Tonic of Botanicals – A green herbal blend with celery sorbet and smoked cumin royale.

Langoustine Shiitake – Served with kombu and plum—umami-rich and beautifully balanced.

At this point, there was a pause in the meal and we were invited upstairs to the wine cellar for a sensory interlude.

Sound of the Sea – A classic Fat Duck signature. Halibut, hamachi, grilled octopus, seaweed, and greens, enjoyed while wearing headphones playing ocean sounds. Gimmicky? Maybe. But it really works.

Bread & Butter – Warm, crusty bread and perfectly whipped butter. Not flashy, but comforting.

Walk in the Woods – A two-part dish. First: mushrooms, beet, and blackberry. Then: a venison broth infused with birch bark.

Grass-Fed Beef – Served with meadow grass aroma and aged beef.

Cheese & Grapes – A playful course: the "cheese" was actually ice cream, paired with a crisp biscuit.

Sake – With sake lees, chamomile, and honey.

Alphonso Mango – With lychee, beetroot, and green pepper.

Kids in a Sweetshop – A whimsical and joyful end to the meal.

Highlights:

The big standout for me was definitely Sound of the Sea. The halibut and octopus were spot on, but what really made it special was the whole experience—eating while listening to ocean sounds through headphones. It was unlike anything I’ve ever had.

Also, a funny little moment: since we were right on time for our reservation, we were a bit ahead of the rest of the dining room. At one point, we heard some commotion from another table—turns out someone didn’t follow the instructions for the Walk in the Woods course and actually ate the birch bark instead of using it to make the broth. Oops.

Service:
The service was great—super warm and friendly, and they were generally on top of everything. They also added a few thoughtful touches for our anniversary, which was really nice.

Overall:
The Fat Duck is one of those places where it’s best to just go in open-minded and enjoy the ride. Some dishes were stronger than others in terms of flavor, but the creativity and playfulness throughout the whole experience made it truly memorable. Totally worth the trip out to Bray.