Perhaps the food event of a lifetime is discovered about an hour outside of London in the village of Bray where a 500-year old pub operates as one of the world's premiere gastronomic landmarks. Located next to the Hinds Head Hotel, which it shares a valet with, a gabled roofline and crisp white brick masks the alchemist precision of this science-based foodie destination with a homey facade. Inside, a somewhat cavernous space wouldn't win any decorating awards with its muted white walls adorned with sun-burst abstract artwork and lime colored high-back chairs that sooth the lower extremities rather well through multi-hour gourmet experiences that fulfill every expectation.
The Food
The Galileo of Molecular gastronomy, self-taught chef Heston Blumenthal where bold statements are made by combining ingredients long kept at separate parts of the menu. Blumenthal experiments with flavors, sounds and names meaning that dishes called sound of the sea and lime grove are invariably a symphony of juxtaposing ingredients like crab or red cabbage and ice cream that result in an impossibly delicious marriage. Hence the vague names. The tasting menu, priced in 2010 at 150 Pounds, is a challenge to the senses and like a foreign opera for foodies where harmonious, good-tasting flavors are appreciated even if you can’t quite translate each ingredient.
Last Word
Book at least three months in advance for this world renowned culinary experience that is often ranked as the best restaurant on earth.
