Death Row Dinners pop-up comes under fire

The Death Row Dinners restaurant, offering diners the chance to ‘eat like it’s your last meal on earth’, was due to run at Hoxton Square from 24 October to 29 November.

For £50, diners were invited to join 80 ‘fellow inmates’ to experience a night at the ‘high security restaurant’, where they would be charged, sentenced, searched and frisked before sitting down for a five course meal comprised of ‘culinary twists on some of death rows most interesting and popular last dinners.’

Organisers claimed the idea was developed to explore the concept of the ‘last meal’, and said three visitors to the restaurant would be chosen at random to experience their own choice of last meal cooked by a chef in their own home with up to five guests.

Bad taste​

However, the idea came under fire on social media and in local press, with critics questioning the taste of a restaurant that appeared to celebrate the highly controversial death penalty.

In response to the backlash, the organisers posted a statement on the Death Row Dinners website saying they were ‘shocked and saddened’ by the response to Death Row Dinners, and ‘genuinly very sorry for any offence caused’.

“The pop up is intended to explore the concept of last meals; anyone who has ever been to a dinner party has probably had this conversation – what would they love their last meal to be,” the statement explained.

“In light of the response to the idea we are considering our next steps and will update everyone with our decision.”

@DeathRowDinners using pictures of people who were executed with "menus" round their necks, how on earth did you think that was okay?!

— Primrose Prints (@PrimrosePrints) September 16, 2014