Is London's £240 8-course sensory meal worth it? | Kitchen Theory

Only open for their 'Supper Club' monthly, I don't think anything can prepare you for this highly creative multi-sensory experience. Here I had the tastiest dish of my life. They change the menu often, so you too will receive a unique culinary journey. It was quite a shock when we visited it's tucked away Holborn location. My brother and I were warmly greeted in a dark reception, brought down a flight of stairs to the main dining room - and into a side room where they showed us a film introducing the concept of the evening: being that manipulating your senses changes the taste of the food. We listened to hot and cold flowing water in headphones and surprisingly could identify what each one was when questioned. An array of perfume bottles had us spritzing the air to identify their scent, such as bubblegum and coffee.

First course - Flavour is a construct

We were then taken to our seats and given champagne to start us on drinks. Jozef Youssef, the Founder, instructed us to taste a PTC strip which for the majority of the table tasted of nothing at all, but the rest of the table reported it tasting bitter. This demonstrates the effects of heredity on taste. We further put a nose plug on before eating a jellybean - we were questioned what flavour it was, and it shocked me how I couldn't identify it until I released my nose and knew it was cherry from the scent.

Bouba & Kiki

The host talked us through each course, and introduced a warm jackfruit doughnut alongside 'hearts of palm' in a tapioca shell, further discussing the concept of flavour correlations. Oxford University study found the word 'Kiki', is associated with sharper shape, texture and mouthfeel, contrary to the smoother word 'Bouba', The softer and comforting doughnut aligned with Bouba, and the citrusy and crisp taste of the taipoca and palm represented Kiki. This was paired with a sweet fruity cocktail, that had a flavoured bubble injected onto it in front of us!

Fillet o' Jellyfish

Served with a tasty kombucha drink, the host introduced this course by projecting an ocean onto the table, discussing sustainability and future foods, notably jellyfish due to it's abundence and nutritional value. Therefore we received Mcdonalds-like packaging, with a jellyfish burger, and millet fries inside! I was surprised how enjoyable each was, the patty having only a slightly prawn-like texture that didn't ruin the taste. The millet fries had an almost halloumi texture and subtle nutty taste, being another food of the future able to grow in diverse climates, even droughts.

Tsumikasa

Based on a documentary about a restaurant in Tsumikasa, where all ingredients are locally forested - this course had a leafy scene projected on the table with dry ice infused with fresh natural foresty scents covering the table. The dish featured a jersey royal potato, celebrating British farming, paired with pumpernickle, shallot and truffle. I thought it looks like little bits of charcoal and soil, but was texturally delicious, salty and slightly earthy.

Scriptura Vitae

Based on a collaboration with Artist Aerosyn Lex, who used his inky calligraphy style artwork to create a masterful multi-sensory art short film with Channel 4. Black brushstrokes covered the table, and a squid ink risotto and white wine was delivered in front of us. Heres the catch: the Waiter then added a Umeboshi (pickled ume fruits that are common in Japan) sauce. This was honestly incredible, I was shocked as I had never had such incredible blends of flavours in my mouth. This is hands down the most delicious meal I've had in my life, and encompassed decadence itself by being rich but you didn't want to put your spoon down.

Offering to the Gods

Based on Youssef's travels to Mexico, and a celebration of culinary heritage - this meal felt very comforting and flavourful. The warm, buttery cornbread has been on my mind since, whilst my Brother loved the turkey with the cactus and bean filling, paired with the smoothest avocado and squash puree. The dish featured oaxacan molé sauce that tied it well together beautifully. The red wine pairing worked fabulously.

Jewel of the Kingdom

Saudi culture is encompassed in this ajwa date and salted toffee cake dessert. Having been inspired by the 5th Chapter of the Quran "Al Maidah", which translates to "The Table Spread" or "The Table". This was a lovely light and fluffy cake, with the perfect amount of date and toffee infused sweetness.

It was paired with a small but powerful Saudi coffee or tea, based on your preference. I am not a coffee drinker but had to try it after smelling my Brother's cup. It was incredibly aromatic, and I could primarily taste cardamom.

Final course - Timor

As I have watched Searchlight's film 'The Menu", I was slightly afraid when the lights went off, and dramatic music started playing. A warm glow came from a set of lightbulbs in the centre of the table, until a Waiter came and smashed each one with a hammer, whilst we gasped, the lights came back on - and they started picking up shards of the broken glass with tweezers and placed it in our summer fruits sorbet in front of us.

This truly was a multi-sensory experience, and evoked lots of surprise, as we tasted the sharp texture of the hard sugar on the cool sorbet, which balanced the white chocolate and citric acid bed it was on. This bed included popping candy, adding even more excitement to the dish.

I was incredibly nervous when I saw that another dish was coming, as I was very full - but it was a delightful small chocolate truffle dessert, with a towelette poured by the Waiter with hot water, to wash our hands.

Is it worth the cost?

If you’re seeking more than just a meal, and are open to a theatrical, thought-provoking exploration of taste — then absolutely yes. This is not just dining; it’s edible art, a science experiment, and a cultural dialogue rolled into one unforgettable night. I have never tasted dishes and flavours like these before, with such variety with every course.

If you aren't interested in spending £240 on dining, and tend to stick to eating plain foods, I would give it a miss...

What also made the experience richer was the company - I loved talking to the people around us, helped by the fact our drinks were always refilled (liquid encouragement)! So if you enjoy meeting new people, you would enjoy the environment it creates.