Heston Blumenthal to open The Fat Duck Melbourne in February
Blumenthal announced earlier this year that he was planning to relocate his three Michelin-starred restaurant to Melbourne’s Crown Tower Resorts for six months while he modernises the Bray building.
The chef has now said he will close The Fat Duck at Bray in December and move the restaurant almost in its entirety to the new site in Australia, due to open two months later.
“Every bite of the multi course Tasting Menu, every whisper of nostalgia and emotion, every aspect of the flawless service, and every team member will move half the world away and call Australia home for half a year,” said a spokesperson.
“Even design pieces from the original building in Bray, UK will make the journey.”
Chefs table
The Fat Duck at Crown Melbourne will open for lunch and dinner on Tuesday though to Saturday, with a tasting menu costing AU$525 per person.
A total of 50 covers per service will be divided into tables for two or four, with limited six seat options available.
Blumenthal is also adding a Chef’s Table to the Melbourne restaurant, which will be located in the front of pass and offer four guests per service the chance to see the inner workings of the kitchen.
Ballot system
In response to the huge interest in the restaurant since the original announcement in March, Blumenthal has decided to introduce a ballot system for reservations at the restaurant.
“The support and eager interest that both Heston and The Fat Duck have received have been absolutely incredible, so in order to accommodate demand in the most equitable way, a ballot process will be utilised for all reservations,” said a spokesperson.
“Anyone – anywhere in the world – who would like to make a reservation at The Fat Duck in Melbourne will need to register for the ballot system.
“All available reservations for the restaurant’s entire six-month visit to the Crown Melbourne Resort, including reservations for the Chef’s Table, will be allocated through the ballot process.”
When The Fat Duck returns to the UK in late September 2015, the chef will establish a permanent Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Crown Melbourne Resort.
The ballot will open to applications on www.thefatduckmelbourne.com from 9am on 8 October and will close at midnight Melbourne time on 26 October.
