A restaurant where every dish is a surprise on a ten-course tasting menu has been named one of the top 20 most exciting in Britain. Notts-born chef Tom Sellers opened Restaurant Story in London in 2013.
The Good Food Guide placed the restaurant in 11th place, with L’Enclume in Cumbria taking top spot and Ynyshir in Ceredigion, Wales, coming second. The announcement was made at a ceremony at the Groucho Club in Soho.
At two-Michelin starred Restaurant Story, a 40-seater venue in Bermondsey, diners are not presented with a menu on arrival for the ten-course tasting menu costing £225 a head. They are served a mix of classic Story dishes and new and seasonally-inspired classics. One of the signature dishes is a beef dripping candle.
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Tom, who grew up in East Leake, still has close links with his home county, partnering up with Restaurant Six, the fine dining restaurant at Trent Bridge, to help design the menu. He started his career as a pot washer and carried out basic tasks in a pub kitchen in Wymeswold before going on to hone his craft working at some of the world's top restaurants.
One five star review said: "The menu is handed to you at the end of the meal, which is perfect as each dish is then a surprise with a back story. Highlights for me were, Custard with a twist of pumpkin seeds and excellent Oscietra sturgeon caviar, Scallops, Parker house roll and Rhubarb & Custard. Look out for “Storeos” (one of the snacks), you will fall in love with Story right then and there!"
Another diner said: "Faultless start to finish! I could wax lyrical about the food, presentation, the staff, the tableware, the space, the creativity, the soundtrack, the theatrics, the drink selection, the service… and on and on. It would be hard to know where to stop. This is truly food as an art form, poetic gastronomy. Star number 3 can’t be far off… amazing experience. We would highly recommend this place. It may appear expensive but in this case you truly get what you pay for."
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