If you're partial to a bit of cheese – or a great deal of it – then there's one UK restaurant you'll want to visit. Pick & Cheese at Seven Dials Market in London's Covent Garden is widely regarded as the world's first cheese conveyor belt restaurant, offering a distinctive way to sample British artisan cheeses in sushi-style fashion.
Situated on the top floor of the KERB-run market, it boasts a 40-metre belt carrying rotating plates of cheese, each thoughtfully paired with a specially chosen accompaniment, such as chutney, crackers, bread, pickles or cured meats. Despite launching back in September 2019, a surprising number of people remain unaware the restaurant even exists.
The eatery drew its inspiration from traditional Japanese kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi bars, with founder Mathew Carver establishing it to make artisan British cheeses more approachable and less daunting for diners. The belt has been specially designed for the restaurant, incorporating bespoke covers (domes) to maintain the cheese at its ideal temperature and condition while rotating.
The restaurant boasts more than 25 varieties of British and Irish cheeses, including Keens Cheddar with tomato chutney, Cropwell Bishop Stilton with kimchi, Cornish Yarg with pea and mint pesto and Truffled Baron Bigod with charcoal crackers. Diners receive small plates of British cheese and simply take whatever appeals to them. Each plate is colour-coded according to price, typically ranging from £3–£8+ per plate.
There are also more substantial dishes and toasted cheese options available to order separately. "Off-Belt" hot dishes additionally include Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Five Cheese Macaroni Blue Cheese Raclette and Fondue Smoked Sausage and La Latteria Mozzarella Sticks, famous for their remarkable cheese pull. Those concerned about the cost of several dishes might want to visit the restaurant on a Wednesday, when a Bottomless Plates offer priced at £29.50 per person is available. Those who choose this can indulge in unlimited cheese and charcuterie plates from the belt for 75 minutes.
The restaurant can become crowded, so you might want to reserve ahead. Servings are fairly modest, so it's more of a sampling experience than a conventional meal. Alongside the Covent Garden site, there is now also a Pick & Cheese restaurant at Camden Market, which took over from The Cheese Bar. The venue was redesigned in July 2025 and boasts an 18-metre-long conveyor belt. This year, a Pick & Cheese is due to launch in New York, US, as well. It will be positioned in Shaver Hall, the new food hall housed in the former Lord & Taylor flagship building at 424 Fifth Ave, Midtown Manhattan. As of May 2026, the New York-based Pick & Cheese has yet to open its doors to the public. Although early plans had targeted a launch in February or March 2026, the latest schedules suggest the grand opening has been pushed back to 1 June 2026.
