RESTAURANTS MIXED FLAVOURS
Julie Cramer takes a look at some innovative dining concepts that are attracting attention in Europe and the US
Disappearing Dining Club ■ Disappearing Dining Club venues have included a mini department store, a converted railway arch and an art gallery
deep underground spaces,” claims the website of the ‘secret’ eating con- cept called the Disappearing Dining Club. Tapping into the growing popularity for innovative ‘pop-up’ concepts which appear in unex- pected places, thrill and entertain their customers and then disap- pear again, DDC is the culinary equivalent of another London- based entertainment concept called Secret Cinema (see Leisure Management 2011, Issue 3). The company throws dinner and
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dance parties in venues such as empty warehouses, isolated rooftops and secret gardens throughout the year, as well as hosting private events, wedding parties, and art and music shows. It also maintains a semi-permanent din- ing space which changes periodically (a new venue is due to open in east London in the next few months). The DDC’s monthly Dinner Dance
offering is targeted at groups of friends who want a unique and qual- ity dining experience while also having
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e like grand spaces, raw spaces, old spaces, new spaces, up high in the air spaces, or
the opportunity to meet and mingle with new people. At a cost of around £50 per head guests get a welcome glass of bubbly and canapés, followed by a four course meal. A Scandinavian-inspired event
recently featured a menu of Ballotine
"It really builds the anticipation if people have to go through an old shop or down an alley to find us"
of Gravad Lax with Smoked Cod’s Roe & Guinness Bread, Roast Beef Rib, Baltic Hot Pot & Edwin’s Mustard Relish, followed by Lingonberry Pannacotta. Another event was held in a four-storey department store in London's East End, where guests ate a different dinner course on each fl oor, while enjoying a range of music and entertainment. The company also offers a selec-
tion of private dining rooms where it can cater for a minimum of eight and a maximum of 250 guests. These
Read Leisure Management online
leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital
random spaces are converted into restaurants for the night, and could be anything from basements and lofts around London to converted take- away restaurants, clothes shops and launderettes.
DDC is the brainchild of Stuart Langley, who has a background in bars, restaurants, private mem- bers’ clubs, events and festivals. He says: “We held our fi rst dinner party in October 2010 and I invited 30 friends. For our second event, those 30 friends brought 30 of their friends, and for our third event, we didn't know any of our guests.” Since then, he says, the busi- ness has gone from strength to strength. Working with business part- ner and Danish chef, Fred Bolin, Langley now runs two regular monthly events, and two to three private dining experiences per week. “We’re constantly searching for unu- sual venues," says Langley. "It really builds the anticipation if people have to go through an old shop or down a long alley to fi nd us. Our business is all about the food and the spaces, and what happens when people come together to share the experience.”
ISSUE 2 2012 © cybertrek 2012
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