When looking for that perfect alternative dining experience, few compare to the luxurious chef’s tables scattered around London. We find them so much better than most immersive dinners out there where organisers go for theatrics over flavour.
At chef’s tables, not only do you get an impressive tasting menu which changes each night according to seasonality and personal tastes, but you also get to chat with your chef.
Sometimes it’s a celebrity *cough* Mark Hix *cough* and other times you get to meet the entire team – being taken on a tour of the kitchen. Learn a little about what you’re eating as to enhance the entire experience. You’ll garner a far great appreciation for everything that comes over the kitchen pass. It’s far above the usual dinner out.
Tramshed
Mark Hix has been running his ‘Tales from the Kitchen Library’ dining experiences for some time now – booking up super-fast each and every year. Mark Hix invites some of his mates (famous chefs) over to his private kitchen upstairs in Tramshed to cook for a small number of guests. They offer an opportunity not only to watch some outstanding chefs in action, but also to share a relaxed and intimate evening with Mark Hix and his friends.
They’ll share stories of their life in food while also demonstrating and cooking a four-course menu in the intimate setting in Mark’s Kitchen Library. Think of it as a dinner party hosted by some of the most exceptional names in food. This year’s guests include Richard Bertinet, Chris Galvin, Ollie Dabbous, Sergei Reviakin and Vivek Singh. Tickets are priced between £155 and £195 per person.
32 Rivington Street EC2A 3LX
Mimo London
The Basque-based cookery school landed in Borough Market last year with their cooking classes, local food tours and (most importantly) chef’s table. For something extra special, head upstairs into their large private dining room overlooking Southwark Cathedral and perch up at their kitchen benches.
Diners get two chefs cooking a series of dishes inspired by daily walks around Borough Market – picking up seasonal produce along the way. Chat with your Spanish chefs and sommelier who will pair each course with wine (usually Spanish too). It is an extra special experience but also feels very relaxed. They’ll even get some guests up to help plate dishes and get hands on with cooking during the festivities.
1 Cathedral Street SE1 9DE
Mãos
This is one of the most comprehensive chef’s tables in London – it even comes with its own new and shiny Michelin star which it was awarded for the first time this year. At Mãos in Shoreditch, up to sixteen guests are invited to dine around a communal table to enjoy a feast made by executive chef Edoardo Pellicano.
The single seating per evening allows the team at Mãos to execute dishes with the utmost attention to research, technique and process, achieving a level of detail that would not be possible in most kitchens around the globe, as well as the flexibility to develop, age and ferment products in-house. It also means you get to spend the entire evening here, slowly making your way through an extensive selection of dishes and drinks. For this experience, you get to eat in the kitchen and up on the roof terrace – if weather permits. Just be sure to book way in advance. It is incredibly popular and only open from Wednesday through to Saturday.
41 Redchurch Street E2 7DJ
City Social
Jason Atherton’s famous restaurant located on the 24th floor of Tower 42 also has a small chef’s table located in a private dining room. Of course, it has the spectacular views across the City of London – looking out over the Gherkin and other famous skyscrapers. Only 11 guests can fit around the circular table which looks into the open kitchen – and they can create a bespoke menu just for you and your fellow diners. This Michelin-starred option is pure class – much used for entertaining business folk in the Square Mile but also for celebrating special personal occasions.
Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street EC2N 1HQ
