Britain · DINING EXPERIENCES
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 13 dining experiences worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Spend three hours aboard a dinner boat sailing from Westminster to the Thames Barrier and back. You get sparkling wine, a three-course British meal, floodlit sights, and live music from singers such as Emma, Patrick Phelps, Andrew, or Paddy, depending on the evening.
“Loved everything thing about this cruise Great value for money”
Head to Hard Rock Cafe London on Old Park Lane in Mayfair for a two or three-course meal surrounded by music memorabilia. Choose a burger, chicken, salmon, salad, or BBQ dish, then finish with dessert and a soft drink, coffee, or tea. Priority seating helps at busy meal times.
“Good service, excellent food, I payed in Euro and payed less than I would have paid in the restaurant in English pound. So worth it!”
Enjoy a two or three-course meal at Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus, the brand’s flagship London venue. Priority seating helps you get inside faster, while music memorabilia, burgers, salmon, plant-based dishes, dessert, and a soft drink, tea, or coffee make this a practical West End meal.
“overall a great experience. Good food, well looked after. Love the ambience of the whole place”
Board Bustronome at Victoria Embankment for a six-course French and British dinner while London rolls past your window. You’ll see St. Paul’s, Tower Bridge, Westminster, the Shard, Trafalgar Square, and more from a glass-roofed top deck. English hosts, WiFi, and an onboard toilet are included.
“Everything was amazing, starting from the waiters who served us in a fantastic and professional way despite working on a bus, which trust me, is not easy! We had a situation with other people who decided to leave and they handle it very well.We live in London and this tour has been a journey of our memories since we moved here long time ago! Thank you guys for the amazing experience! Please try and you won’t regret it.”
Book a 75-minute meal at Hard Rock Cafe Manchester in Exchange Square. Choose the Gold two-course or Diamond three-course menu, with classic burgers, pasta, chicken, salmon, dessert, and a soft drink, tea, or coffee. Priority seating and wheelchair access are included.
“Amazing restaurant! I love to visit all hard rock cafes :)”
Board at 7:45PM for a three-hour Thames dinner cruise with a glass of sparkling wine, a three-course meal, and two live sets by award-winning Elvis performer Matt King. Cruise toward Tower Bridge, enjoy skyline views, then dance to Elvis-themed music until the boat returns.
“Great night drinks expensive but apart from that really good night out”
Spend six festive hours seeing London’s illuminated landmarks, eating a three-course Christmas dinner with prosecco in Covent Garden, and attending Midnight Mass at St Martin-in-the-Fields. An English-speaking guide leads the evening, with hotel-area drop-off after the service.
“The guide was simply fantastic. Zo Zo was professional and knowledgeable all wrapped up in a wonderful sense of fun.”
Board City Cruises at Tower Pier for a three-hour English-language murder mystery with a welcome drink, three-course dinner, and Thames views. Follow the actors and clues past Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, Shakespeare’s Globe, the London Eye, Parliament, and Canary Wharf, or simply enjoy the meal and show.
“The food was great, the professional actors were good, the staff was great. Unfortunately one could not fully follow the murder mystery part of the cruise due to the fact that the guests who were asked to play a role talked too quietly and the staff didn't put enough effort in motivating them to speak louder nor were they able to turn the speakers up to the point one could understand everything. Later we found out that this has been a consistent problem and I think they could've come up with a solution by now. They tried to make the guests more audible but still, when you don't understand the…”
Cruise from Tower Pier toward Canary Wharf with sparkling wine, London skyline views, a three-course Christmas dinner, half a bottle of wine, and DJ-led dancing. You’ll share a close table for 10, so expect a social party rather than a quiet dinner.
“Dansen en DJ was geweldig. Kwaliteit eten was goed.”
Spend five hours aboard a heated Thames cruise from Tower Pier to Greenwich and back. You’ll enjoy a three-course dinner, half a bottle of wine, live music, dancing, and Champagne at midnight, with a planned mooring near Big Ben for the fireworks.
“The view for the fireworks is behind a bridge and not from the front. The evening was not festive, it's a shame for the price.”
Join Escape Yachting for a 5.5-hour shared yacht trip from Lymington, led by a professional skipper and crew such as Paul and Alex. Sip English sparkling wine, sail toward the Isle of Wight, enjoy a hot two-course meal at anchor, and swim or take the helm if conditions allow.
“Absolutely fantastic morning sailing. Great Skipper and crew, excellent food and hubby got to sail the yacht. Just perfect!”
Enjoy a six-course dinner and wine pairing aboard a luxury panoramic bus with chef Ignazio Nuccio’s seasonal British and French menu. The three-hour route passes Big Ben, the Shard, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and more, starting and ending near Embankment station.
Spend 2pm to 4pm at Blundells Supper Club with a drag queen host, soul-era music, games, prizes, lip-syncs and possible karaoke. Choose seated entry with fizz or the £55 bottomless food and drinks package. The lineup can vary, so expect a playful afternoon rather than a fixed cabaret show.
“I wonder what really to rate this. I was so hoping to LOVE it, but there were problems, but not of the venue's doing (kind of). The food was really good. Surprising. Never expected the food to be so good, however the drinks were very weak. The experience started off fun-two drag queens either lip synced or sang, then the 11 audience members (it would have been so much more fun with more of an audience) bought tickets and played spin the wheel. Prizes were given. Then karaoke. That is when the mood shifted. None of the "queens led the segment, and no one wanted to sing yet the karaoke…”
Pick a city, a castle or a long drive north.
