If you’ve ever been to an extremely posh restaurant for a taster menu....

[ItchyScratch]

DH & I are soon going to be going on our first night away in MANY years (lost count)

We decided to push the boat out and book a very fancy restaurant (I mean these days you’re lucky if we can manage McDonalds)

The restaurants we are looking at are those type that do a 7 course taster menu, usually about £100+ per head.

My first question is- what was your experience like and do you recommend it?
We are thinking you only live once and to try it out. Just don’t want to be disappointed and think we wasted money.

My second question- the websites for the places I’m looking at don’t show a drinks menu but do say there is a choice of a paired wine tasting menu (£75 each! What!!) but neither of us drink wine (I would be drunk after one glass)
But the only other option is named as a ‘non alcoholic flight’ and that’s £48 each- god knows what you get for that!
So what did you do?

I’d be embarrassed to call or email and ask as I’m sure their usual customers would be well accustomed to their ways and would have no qualms in paying £48 each for some unspecified none alcoholic drinks.

Thanks in advance- from someone desperately trying to experience being rich/posh

I’ve done a couple. Don’t be fooled into thinking the tiny portions won’t fill you up.
I’ve got a big appetite and am stuffed by the last course!
You’ll love it. In fact I think I might see if we can book one for half term!

Gone are the days I used to do tasting menus but do check the menus and instagram photos to make sure the food is to your taste otherwise it would be an expensive disappointment! I prefer more informal places like Kitchen Table and The Clove Club. You can just choose drinks from the drinks list. If the place is good then the service should be so brilliant that they make you feel at ease straight away.

I’m a regular with tasting menus and the Michelin star ones have always been top notch. I’ve had some “tasting menus” from non starred restaurants which have been pretty crap and the same price so be careful!

Also what sort of vibe are you looking for? Dressy and formal or more relaxed? This will have an impact on your experience. You don’t have to get the drinks packages but be warned - drinks are expensive!

Is it the kitchin? I'm desperate to go there but logistics are a problem from where I am.

We've been ten tumes now, they recognise us and we've been made special dishes, they really have no issue with us only drinking tap water.

I have had tasting menus at Michelin starred restaurants many times, most recently at Sat Bains in Nottingham.

It’s a wonderful experience, so relax and enjoy it. The staff’s job is to look after you, and make you feel welcome and comfortable. In my experience, so-called ‘fine dining’ in the U.K. is much more relaxed and informal that it used to be, and dress codes have been relaxed considerably or removed completely.

As for drinks, just order what you want. The restaurant will have a fully stocked bar so just ask for whatever non-alcoholic drinks you fancy. Asking for tap water is completely fine, even in the poshest establishments. The staff will probably try to sell you the ‘drinks flight’, that’s their job, but you absolutely don’t have to have it if you don’t want it.

If there’s anything on the menu you really don’t fancy, (snails in my case) just talk to the staff beforehand, or as early as possible on the evening and ask if you can substitute something else.

Nice restaurants are a treat, so enjoy yourself! (Smile)

I've had a few tasting menus and TBH they're not my thing
If a course is fabulous then you find yourself longing for more than a couple of bites, and if it's not fabulous then you're wondering what the point of it was. I think sometimes they go to far in the direction of showing off the kitchen's skills, rather than creating the best possible customer experience. On the rare occasion nowadays that I have £££ to spend on a meal I find somewhere with an a la carte option.

Does anyone have any particularly amazing taster menu restaurants that they'd recommend? Sorry to hijack OP, just reading some of these experiences is making me very keen to try!

Amazing. I've done two. Loved them. Such special experiences

You don't need to have any wine at all! Just have a soft drink or one small wine if you fancy it.

Depends on the restaurant. I had one in the Maldives once and it was very nice (too much truffle and seafood though).

Also did one in Iceland which was even better.

I find that they're generally good, but you can leave hungry.

Don't pick either drinks package and just have water. I tend to get the wine pairing and I don't know why because I'm always absolutely pissed afterwards.

Stumbling up a volcanic path to my room ratarsed was an interesting experience.

@MrsHamlet
I'm talking about The Kitchin
Absolutely amazing restaurant, they somehow make you feel like the most important people there, whilst alsi making you feel as comfortable as if you are in your local cafe.

Also, we travel two hours each from opposite directions to go there.

Gah @IHaveBrilloHair!!! You can go off people you don't know 😂

My local is L'enclume and I love it - but The Kitchin and H'Rishi are both on the list as soon as possible.

If you're in Edinburgh then Restaurant Martin Wishhart is amazing! They were wonderful when we were there. Excellent service and really really nice food.

DON'T feel pressured into wine pairings! It's perfectly normal to order regular drinks alongside a tasting menu.

Enjoy yourself - hey, you might not like a couple of the tastes/textures/ingredients but it will be a wonderful experience and you'll know whether it's something you want to do again in the future.

Let us know what you thought?!

I took my twins to one for their eighteenth. Drinks and food were fabulous as was the service. My god tho we all wanted to get chips on the way home ...

I've done two in the last few years.

The very best one was in Spain, it was absolutely superb. And it was about 9 courses, all beautifully presented and delicious, we were there for about 4 hours!

The other one was good but far more expensive, with the wine pairings it came to about £500. Ridiculous and nowhere near as good as the one in Spain.

You can drink exactly what you want. The staff tend to really enjoy describing the food and will look after you, you're in charge!

Personally...we once did a really posh taster menu. I didn't find it that enjoyable. The reason being is that every tiny thing was so many it was too much. I would prefer a great streak and chips! Obviously go and enjoy OP but just saying!

The kitchin is one of the options yes! So it’s good to read your review of it.
It doesn’t look like it’s too far from our hotel either so that’s good.

Thank you for all your replies- I am definitely going to book one.
And it’s even better to read that many of you have tap water!

We will happily get dressed up. I don’t mean like full on wedding attire but we will make our selves look presentable

Is it the restaurant at the Balmoral? They are good, though not the best out there. You will have a lovely dinner. The staff are excellent.

If I wasn't drinking wine I would just drink water tbh. No way would I pay £48 a head for non alcoholic anything!

Perfect that it’s in Edinburgh, my parents first date was a tasting menu in Edinburgh. My dm had never heard of it, working class girl from a mining town 40 + years ago. My dad was long haired hippy type so she was entirely bamboozled to appear in a posh restaurant. Mum eats like a snake posh meal out she’ll enjoy but not need to eat again for a week so she was disappointed to when dd didn’t touch the bread or finish his glass of wine. 4 courses in and no end in sight she worked out what was happening.

Anyway that lends nothing to the thread but it’s a romantic story and I assume it’s a very romantic type meal.

Oh, Mrs Hamlet, did I mention how we were invited into The Kitchen on my 40th?
I also got a card on the table and a special dessert with a candle
I'm desperate to go back, but as a former shielder Im just not comfortable yet.

Yes DH and I have been quite a few times.

We've never taken up the wine pairing option - put simply we know what wines we like (were are by no means wine buffs btw) and simply order a bottle to share throughout the meal plus some sparking water to cleanse the palate between courses.

The only think I'd say is not to get despondent at the size of the courses.

The first time we went and DH saw the size of the first course he was convinced he was going to need a takeaway after!

However, the courses do vary in size and buy the time you get through the lot I promise you'll be full!

Some places we've been to have a standard menu where you know what you'll get - others have seasonal variations and often give sample menus.

We will pretty much eat/try anything with the exception of one particular ingredient that DH can't stand the smell/taste of so we always mention at the point of booking and ring ahead a day before to ensure the kitchen can provide an alternative if that's on the menu (it's an expensive treat and "losing" a course would be a shame.

We really enjoy it. There's something lovely and leisurely about this way of dining, with lots of "rests" between the courses and being excited to see the next course, compare it to the last etc

It is expensive but in all honesty it's the best food I've eaten.

I'm a very good cook myself and tbh often find eating out disappointing in the sense I often come away thinking I could have made that better myself.

However, technical complexity of some of this food, the tools used in its preparation, the time to create it, the quality and rarity of the ingredients etc means it's nothing I could possibly produce myself and for me that's a real joy.

You'll have a great time!

I like to do this. Tasting menus can be gorgeous. You can order off the standard drinks menu if you don't want the wine flight.

Kitchin is worth every penny! You can buy drinks individually if you want to from a full drinks menu, with lots of non alcoholic options. Staff are amazing, food delicious. Much prefer the atmosphere at Kitchin to Martin Wishart.