While many of us have endured a Christmas dinner gone slightly awry, few have experienced a festive feast quite like the one served at Heston Blumenthal's world-renowned restaurant, The Fat Duck. For a staggering £455 per person, the three-Michelin-starred establishment offers an advent calendar-themed menu described as a "gastronomical world of wonder."
A Culinary Adventure Begins
Restaurant reviewer Gary Hanna documented his visit on his GaryEats YouTube channel in December 2025. He was immediately plunged into the restaurant's whimsical world, where even the so-called wine "cellar" is located on the first floor. "Nothing makes a great deal of sense here at the Fat Duck," a server explained, setting the tone for what Hanna would later summarise with one word: "mad."
The service was playfully mischievous from the start. A waiter described one early course as containing "green tomatoes, green apples, nasturtiums, parsley, astroturf, John Deere tractors..." before admitting, "I might have made some of those up." The meal commenced with an aerated beetroot sphere, priming diners for the unconventional journey ahead.
Bizarre Courses and Theatrical Wizardry
Each dish blurred the line between culinary art, theatre, and science. Hanna was served a golden carrot that transformed into a beef-flavoured drink and a smoked salmon creation that left him baffled. "I ain't got a Scooby-Doo what's going on," he confessed.
Heston's interpretation of a Christmas sandwich, containing prawn cocktail and a crispy wafer, existed on another level compared to high-street versions. The main event, "The King's Venison," was inspired by a meal favoured by William the Conqueror. Served with beetroot, chestnut, black truffle, and a side of Umbles (the offal dish that spawned the term "Humble Pie"), the smoky, wood-flame-grilled venison was declared "unbelievable" by Hanna.
A Sweet Finale and a Hefty Bill
The grand finale was a "sweet shop" featuring an animatronic dollhouse with 48 compartments, each holding a different treat. Servers jokingly warned, "Do not eat the box," highlighting the playful, immersive nature of the experience. Drinks were equally inventive, including a snowball cocktail with a liquid nitrogen-treated egg that vanished quickly, and a deconstructed Sauternes dessert wine made to look like ordinary grapes.
Concluding his adventure, Hanna exclaimed it was "one of the most amazing, unbelievably strange, awesome, weird meals" he'd ever had. However, the experience came at a profound cost. With a single £21 glass of wine and a tip, his total bill reached £455. He remarked it was "huge money" and stated he wouldn't return, believing Christmas at The Fat Duck should be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
