FOOD + DRINK
LE PETIT CHEF :
IMAGINATIVE , IMMERSIVE DINING AT ITS BEST
DEFINED AS ‘ ANIMATED DINING IN A CULINARY JOURNEY FOLLOWING LE PETIT CHEF , THE WORLD ' S SMALLEST CHEF ’, I WASN ’ T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT FROM LE PETIT CHEF AT THE HILTON BRIGHTON METROPOLE . WOULD IT BE GIMMICKY OR JUVENILE ? AND , CRUCIALLY , IS THE EXPERIENCE GOING TO BE A CASE OF STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE THAT FORGETS THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD FOOD AND LEAVES HUNGRY DINERS DISAPPOINTED ? HAVING BEEN A GUEST AT ONE OF LE PETIT CHEF ’ S TABLES , I CAN HAPPILY CONFIRM THAT AS SOON AS MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE SEATED , ALL OF THESE FLEETING THOUGHTS DISSIPATED . IN FACT , THE EVENING DELIGHTED , ENTERTAINED , SURPRISED AND SATED IN EQUAL MEASURE .
A sensory and culinary journey that combines theatre and fine dining with 3D projection mapping to produce a high-tech tabletop story , Le Petit Chef is a unique dining adventure from the get-go – not least because the dining room at the Hilton Brighton Metropole ’ s 1890 At The Met restaurant is dimmed , which adds an instant air of mystery . With each separate table booked for the exact same sitting time , the gastrostorytelling begins for everyone at the stroke of 7pm when your white tablecloth transforms before your eyes into a colourful and very detailed kitchen-garden scene . “‘ Allow me to introduce to you ,” calls out Carl Lovejoy , a brilliant actor and excellent speaker who compères the entire evening , “ all the way from France . The world ’ s smallest chef !” And so the experience begins …
Five courses served over two hours , Le Petit Chef takes diners on a culinary tour with the tabletop , 6cm-tall chef as their guide . His journey is beamed onto the table using high-definition projectors hidden in lampshades above and comes to life through the pages of a ‘ book ’ placed in front of each guest , and then directly onto their crockery – with waiters carefully placing dishes and table decorations to fit around the animated scene .
The food served reflects the virtual creations of Le Petit Chef as he experiments with the new ingredients he encounters on his travels . We laughed out loud at his * cheeky * introduction and effortful sighs as he hoicked a fresh caprese salad onto our plates . Following his fight with an octopus , we devoured a fresh bouillabaisse , the fishy components of which he caught with a net and slung into our bowls . Next came rotisserie chicken , which he hilariously pulled with exasperation from his woodland tent before cooking on a campfire before us . The penultimate dish saw him throw petrol and a match on a BBQ pit to slow-braise a flavoursome beef dish served with creamy boulangère potatoes , before finally , we were treated to an indulgent rose water vanilla panna cotta .
While multisensory tricks are becoming a trend in the restaurant industry , the secret to making a dining experience feel truly immersive is to use technology as a storytelling tool and not a gimmick , so that the outcome feels like a play and the food served part of that artistic expression . Le Petit Chef achieves this wholeheartedly .
It is a rare thing to create something so playful that isn ’ t childish , but that appeals to all generations and tastes , and this experience does just that . The food is excellent , the wine list is exceptional ( thanks to genius bar manager , Valentina ) and the incredible immersive journey is not only believable in that you ’ re fully invested from the very start , but it ’ s also really good fun – a factor that can be missing from higher-end establishments , but that makes this particular evening accessible , inclusive and exciting .
Le Petit Chef at 1890 At The Met Hilton Brighton Metropole Kings Rd Brighton , BN1 2FU 01273 775432 lepetitchef . com / Hilton-Brighton-Metropole
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