Dining on the London Eye

PICTURES TO FOLLOW!

I am still on a bit of a high from this evening (so excuse my writing!) as we have just returned from an amazing experience of dining on the London Eye. Mat and I were lucky enough to be one of the first people to try out this new concept. And we had a fabulous time.

Still not quite sure why but Mat's company were looking for 8 volunteers to take part in this and give feedback to a market research agency as part of a focus group so the London Eye folks could ascertain as to whether this would be worth rolling out as an experience for people to enjoy.  Mat did try to get all 8 seats but wasn't able to but did manage to get 2 seats for myself and him.

I wasn't really sure what to expect.  I was very curious about how they were going to serve food and wine as we had been informed it would be a 3-course meal with coffee for an hour and a half whilst sat in the pod going around.  I had already been on the London Eye twice and enjoyed it very much so knew that it doesn't really stop for no man, so figured it would be around half an hour for each course.

We were told to get there for 8pm but there was mis-communication and we should have been there for 7pm.  Bugger - we only had just over an hour to eat three courses!  Never mind. 

Our fellow diners were a nice bunch - a real mix bag of personalities but we all got on and our 'waiter' for the evening said we were the most relaxed group he had seen so far.  Apparently, we were the only ones that actually got up from our chairs and were very active in taking photos of the incredible London views, wandering around the pod and generally having a bit of a chit-chat with everyone.  Or, umm that might have just been me....

Anyway, our dining experience.  Once I have found the camera lead to download photos taken you will see that in the pod was a beautifully laid out table with real plates, cutlery etc, comfy chairs, music (from which we could choose what we wanted to hear via an iPAD) and the exclusive use of the pod complete with waiting staff.  We did feel a little bit like Z-list celebrities as some people from other pods were gawping in at us and waving and being all paparazzi taking photos.  Check. Us. Out.

The food and wine were surprisingly very good.  They were transported onto the pod in what can only be described as metal suitcases and had been prepared at the County Hall Marriott nearby. We had champagne to begin with and very good red and white wines to follow with our meal which consisted of a mixed fish starter, beef salad main and champagne-soaked rhubarb knickerbocker glory for dessert followed by coffee and petit-fours. Yum! 

Unfortunately, as you may have noticed from the menu I have just outlined, there isn't much of a vegetarian element to it and until their veggie mains came after the first rotation, the three veggies were left chomping on bread for their starters. Oh dear. Shame. 

Given the small amount of time we had to eat everything as well as bouncing around taking photos, I did feel a little bit acid-refluxy on the way to the Marriott for feedback.  General consensus from our group and the other diners from the other pod was that it was a great experience. 

Food and drink were both highly rated and the exclusivity welcomed.  If or when they do roll this out to the masses, I think they are still deciding the how and to whom and most importantly the cost because I think if the powers that be do decide to introduce this as part of the London Eye selling point, it would cost an awful lot more that what we paid for it this evening. 

Dare I say that this whole unique and fantastic experience we got for........free!

On that note, bonne nuit :-)