The Fat Duck

The Fat Duck is a fine-dining restaurant in Bray, a village beside the River Thames in Berkshire. It occupies a 16th-century cottage that was once a pub called the Ringers. The building has been altered over the centuries but still shows its old timber beams and low ceilings. Heston Blumenthal opened it in 1995 with only himself and a dishwasher in the kitchen. It began as a French-style bistro before turning towards scientific cooking. The restaurant now has fourteen tables and seats forty-two diners. The Fat Duck became one of the first British restaurants to earn three Michelin stars. It held the title of best restaurant in the world in 2005. Blumenthal worked with Professor Peter Barham to develop dishes such as slow-cooked lamb and mineral-water-poached vegetables. The kitchen grew from four staff to forty-two, giving a chef for every diner. A research laboratory two doors away is where new dishes like nitro-scrambled egg and bacon ice cream are created. The menu also includes an Alice in Wonderland-inspired mock turtle soup and Sound of the Sea, which comes with an audio track. Inside, the dining room keeps the cottage’s original character with its small windows and exposed beams. Diners sit at tables arranged so everyone has a clear view of the open kitchen. The tasting menu changes often, each dish designed to surprise the senses. Outside, the Thames flows past the village green and old cottages. Bray itself has a quiet charm, with a few pubs and riverside walks. The restaurant’s laboratory sits opposite the Hind’s Head, another pub owned by Blumenthal.