Dining with Le Petit Chef | Dinner Time Story Review

Last updated: 26 August 2023

In the years since we first wrote this post on our dining experience with Le Petit Chef, we have encountered the interactive dinner experience whilst aboard a Celebrity Cruise to Greece and we’ve just learned that the The London Cabaret Club will be hosting the interactive dining experience in August and September 2023. If you’re interested in having dinner with the world’s smallest chef then we hope our review will be helpful. Enjoy. 

Dinner Time Story is a new pop-up dining experience which has descended on London’s doorstep after a successful stint at the World Centre Trade Tower in Dubai, the Ritz-Carlton in Abu Dhabi, and with locations in Cairo, USA and Stockholm planned for 2018.

I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

Combining 3D projection, creative storytelling, an innovative menu,  and a little bit of history, the team from Skullmapping have created Le Petit Chef. No bigger than a thumb, this micro 3D French chef takes diners on a culinary journey of multi-sensory experiences following in the footsteps of Marco Polo and his adventures across the Silk Road.

Le Petit Chef is ready to serve…

The experience is a treat for the senses with a soundtrack to accompany the 3D projection which encompasses the entire communal dining table including plates, story book and even the table cloth.

Offering six courses, five of which are a surprise, diners choose their main course at the start of the night.  Complimenting the meal is a wine and cocktail pairing, with or without alcohol at the diners request.

Starting in Marseille, diners experience the sights, sounds and French flavours before sailing the seas onto the Middle East and India with The Petit Chef as your guide.  

Each stop along the journey is represented not only in the 3D projection and narrative but also in both the food and drink of each course. The Middle East showcased Arab cuisine with canape sized portions of zaatar, stuffed vine leaves, lamb tagine and a delicious chicken kibbeh, presented in a black lacquer box with mini hookah and a bag of pistachios inside. The complementing drink was gin based blended with mint and lemon accents.

The Indian course was probably my least favourite. The Hors d’œuvre portions of butter chicken served on mini poppadom with mint and a cauliflower pannacotta with gobi aloo were simply not to my taste.

The Petit Chef’s journey continued on with an incredibly inspiring projection of the Himalayas. The awe only matched by the course, pink grapefruit and lychee sorbet.  Served with dry ice!

Once the smoke cleared, our little Petit Chef battled dragons and flew in a rocket before landing in China.

China was the main course. Only here do diners have a choice, with the decision of the main meal being made at the start of the evening. Russ and I divide and conquer on such things with one having the carmelised honey and ginger duck breast with rice, and the other having miso cod and prawn served with fried rice. A vegetarian option of Szechuhan tofu is also available.

After this the Petit Chef returned to his homeland of France for dessert.  He “cooked” our Creme Brulee dessert virtually before the real deal was unveiled before our very eyes.

Entertainment

Throughout the evening, each menu is delivered alongside a small notebook. With pens on the table, diners are encouraged to leave one another, and future diners, little messages. Expect to see drawings, comments and reviews, the odd phone number, and even a naughty limerick or two and everything in between.

Keen to Keep the Party Going?

If you’re keen for more drinks before or after the experience, diners can navigate their way downstairs in this former Victorian era police station, to a creatively transformed cellar bar.

Dimly lit and atmospheric, this small subterranean bar packs a punch with exposed beams and brick walls plus low barrel vaulted ceilings, for an authentic speakeasy vibe.

The Verdict

The cost per person comes in at £95. I’ll admit that I thought this is on the high side with many friends and colleagues putting this experience outside their dining budget for an average date night.

In saying that, I must say in all my years I have never experienced anything quite like it! It is a unique experience to say the least. 

The Essentials | Dinner Time Story | Updated to 2023 Pricing & Location

• Cost: £119 pp
• Bookings: Website 
• When: Every Wednesday through Sunday at 6pm
• Duration: 2 hours
• Where: London Cabaret Club, Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, London WC1B 4DA

This experience was kindly provided by Dinner Time Story in conjunction with Love Popups London in return for an honest review. We were not financially compensated for this post.

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