The Fat Duck

Heston Blumenthal and Bray may not readily combine into a handy little moniker, as Padstow morphed into 'Padstein' - there's the small matter of its exalted four-rosetted neighbour, The Waterside, to consider for a start - but nevertheless Heston's expansion in this quiet corner of Berkshire continues. A few years back he took over The Hinds Head pub, followed in 2010 by the village's other high street public house, The Crown (see entries). And now the brand has hit the big city - see entry for Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. There is still only one The Fat Duck, which has been named 'the world's best restaurant' several times, and has catapulted its creator to international fame and TV stardom. And still it remains at the very top of its game. True, you won't find Heston manning the stoves every day in the tiny kitchen anymore, but his creative genius is still very much at the heart of the operation. Where you will find him - other than when he's on a submarine or an airplane filming an episode of Heston's Mission Impossible - is in his development kitchen in a building across the road from the restaurant. It is here that experiments take place, and new recipes are dreamed up, developed, practised and perfected. It's a long and involved process, and it's a similar story with every dish you'll eat on the 14-course tasting menu (the only menu offered at the restaurant, for both lunch and dinner). The anticipated Heston wizardry appears from the off, with the waiter bringing forth a small trolley containing a nitro-poached aperitif - a kind of meringue-like mousse poached in liquid nitrogen at minus-196 degrees C (choose from vodka and lime sour, gin and tonic or Campari soda). Jelly of quail, crayfish cream, chicken liver parfait, oak moss and truffle toast is full of thrilling flavours and textures, and comes with an 'oak moss strip' which dissolves on your tongue to prepare your taste buds for what lies ahead. Many of the signature dishes remain, including the 'sound of the sea' (complete with iPod to bring aural stimulation), and the now-infamous snail porridge - the braised and sautéed snails juicy, earthy and tender, and the porridge coloured bright green with parsley and flavoured with tiny pieces of Iberico Bellota ham, topped with shaved dressed fennel. 'Mock turtle soup' brings yet more fun to the table, with the diner invited to act out the scene from Alice in Wonderland where the Mad Hatter dips his watch into his cup of tea (this time it's an edible watch though). The dishes that display little table theatre or frippery can actually steal the show - the roast foie gras, for example, with rhubarb, braised konbu and crab biscuit (an incredible combination), and the Anjou pigeon with blood pudding (a smooth, unctuous purée), risotto of spelt and umbles (offal to you and me). There are standout dishes at dessert too, such as the refreshing and zingy galette of rhubarb, and the 'BFG' - the best deconstruction of a Black Forest gâteau you're ever likely to eat.