Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | January 31, 2011 in London, England |
| Founder | Heston Blumenthal |
| Headquarters | London , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | London, Melbourne, Dubai |
Key people | Heston Blumenthal (Founder), Ashley Palmer-Watts (former Head Chef), Jon Miles-Bowring (former Head Chef), Adam Tooby-Desmond (Head Chef) |
| Products | Historic British cuisine |
| Website | www |
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is a London-based dining establishment created by Heston Blumenthal, featuring dishes inspired by historic British culinary traditions uncovered through collaboration with food historians and research at the British Library. Its interior design evokes various antique British eras. Upon opening, the restaurant attracted significant industry acclaim, particularly for signature items such as the Meat Fruit—a chicken liver mousse sculpted to mimic the appearance of a mandarin orange.
Since its debut in January 2011, Dinner achieved its first Michelin star within twelve months and was awarded a second star in 2014, retaining both accolades continuously. It appeared on William Reed Ltd's list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants from 2011 through 2018. The initial head chef was Ashley Palmer-Watts, formerly of Blumenthal's The Fat Duck, followed by successors Jon Miles-Bowring and Adam Tooby-Desmond. The brand has expanded to international locations, including outlets in Melbourne and Dubai.
Description
The restaurant’s interior, designed by Adam Tihany, includes floor-to-ceiling windows offering views into the kitchen and incorporates a pulley mechanism inspired by 16th-century British Royal Court apparatus. Brand identity elements such as the logo and menus were developed by Seymourpowell. For dessert preparations, Dinner employs a clockwork spitroast to roast pineapples.
Although named Dinner, the establishment also serves lunch, emphasizing the concept of the principal meal regardless of time. The menu draws from recipes as far back as the 14th century, including an 1826 scallop recipe sourced from The Cook and Housewife's Manual by Christian Isobel Johnstone. Each dish is accompanied by the year of its historical origin.
Notable offerings include scallops paired with cucumber ketchup, bergamot-cured mackerel salad, and the acclaimed Meat Fruit. An ice cream trolley utilizing hand-cranked liquid nitrogen prepares custard-based ice cream tableside.
Situated near Knightsbridge tube station in Central London's Knightsbridge area, Dinner accommodates up to 110 patrons with a relaxed dress code and requires advance booking.
History
Blumenthal’s fascination with historical gastronomy began in 2000 after uncovering a roast chicken recipe involving live plucking and mercury cooking techniques. His 2009 Channel 4 series Heston's Feasts further delved into Tudor, Medieval, and Victorian culinary practices.
Announced in August 2010 as a successor to the Michelin-starred Foliage at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, Dinner was initially slated to open in December 2010 but experienced delays that postponed its launch to January 31, 2011. Early reservations sold out rapidly for the first quarter.[1] Speculation arose about inventive dishes such as an ice cream meat pie.
Ashley Palmer-Watts, a long-term collaborator of Blumenthal and former head chef at The Fat Duck, served as Dinner’s inaugural head chef.[2][3] He worked alongside Blumenthal and food historian Polly Russell from the British Library to develop the historically inspired menu.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
In February 2014, Dinner temporarily ceased operations due to a norovirus outbreak affecting both staff and guests.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Palmer-Watts left in 2019; Jon Miles-Bowring took over until Adam Tooby-Desmond assumed the head chef role in May 2023.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
The restaurant’s first overseas franchise opened on October 20, 2015, at Crown Melbourne casino in Australia.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Starting in 2018, reports emerged concerning extensive staff wage violations there, including unpaid overtime amounting to A$4.5 million by 2020.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Following an investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Melbourne location closed on February 14, 2020, after Crown chose not to renew its lease.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
A second international branch commenced operations at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai in May 2023.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Later that year, Dinner conducted a four-night residency at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hong Kong.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Reception
Chef Mark Hix, writing for The Independent, hailed Dinner as the finest dining experience he had enjoyed in "at least two years," describing the meat fruit appetizer as "astonishing." He emphasized that despite its playful presentation, the flavor was outstanding. Tracey Macleod, who accompanied Hix, characterized the establishment as straightforward and unpretentious, citing Hix’s opinion that it "could change the face of poncey dining."
In The Daily Telegraph, Zoe Williams rated Dinner nine out of ten, praising the meat fruit but mentioning that the meal lacked the unexpected surprises typically found at Blumenthal's Fat Duck. Another reviewer from the same publication, Matthew Norman, awarded a perfect ten, calling the experience a "theatrical tour de force" and referring to Dinner as "the hottest ticket in town for a very long time."
Chef Jason Atherton commented on the extraordinary excitement generated by Dinner’s launch, expressing relief that his own restaurant debut was scheduled several months afterward. Richard Vines of Bloomberg encouraged readers not to be discouraged by the hype; while Dinner may not be as groundbreaking as Fat Duck, it offers standout dishes such as meat fruit and the tipsy cake, with meat fruit notably favored by Pierre Koffmann. Jay Rayner from The Observer described the cuisine as "seriously good," concluding that although Dinner is costly, it is "bloody lovely" and worth saving for.
Awards
Within nine months of opening, Dinner secured its inaugural Michelin star in the 2012 Michelin Guide, an accolade signifying "high-quality cooking, worth a stop." This achievement placed it among only four London restaurants to receive a star that year. The establishment was also honored as Restaurant of the Year by Tatler in 2011 and received the BMW Square Meal Award for Best New Restaurant. By 2014, Dinner had earned a second Michelin star—denoting "excellent cooking, worth a detour"—marking Blumenthal’s sixth star overall. The restaurant has retained its two-star rating through .
From 2011 to 2018, William Reed Ltd included Dinner on its prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Its highest rankings were number 5 in both 2011 and 2014, number 7 in 2013 and 2015, with other placements ranging from 9 in 2012 to 45 in 2016 and 2018. Additionally, Dinner has been awarded four out of five rosettes by The AA motoring association.