Punk Royale, a Swedish immersive dining experience promising to upend British fine dining, has opened in Mayfair. The 20-course, £220-per-head meal aims to shock with its rowdy approach, but a recent review suggests it falls short of its anarchic ambitions.
The evening begins with a caviar 'bump' served on the hand, a nod to drug culture, but the humour is described as heavy-handed. Diners are subjected to loud music, such as Khia's 'My Neck, My Back', while licking remoulade off plates in the dark. The non-alcoholic wine flight is thick and vegetal, and much of the food is served on plastic lids or in syringes, with cutlery only appearing for course 17.
Highlights include a lobster, truffle and kohlrabi slop shoved into the mouth on a spoon, and foie gras on a blini with raisin juice. However, the reviewer notes that nothing tastes of much, and the rapid service—every two minutes—feels like force-feeding. The coffee semifreddo offers a moment of refuge, but overall, the cooking lacks delicacy.
At £500 for two with drinks, the reviewer questions the value, especially given London's existing immersive dining scene. From Basil Fawlty impersonators to high-budget theatre like You Me Bum Bum Train, the capital offers more sophisticated experiences. Punk Royale's phone-locking policy may protect its secrets, but the reviewer suggests the lack of Instagram-worthy substance would kill its appeal quickly.
