Running on dates throughout April and May 2019
Unprepossessing start in the yard of a tyre warehouse in – well, an undisclosed location (until 4pm on the day) on the upper reaches of the Victoria Line. Namecheck, wristbands, an Asahi beer and then through the keyhole into a world inspired by Jules Verne, the Montgolfier Brothers and maybe the spinning teacups ride from Alice in Wonderland. Nobody does imaginative immersive dining-theatre like Gingerline.
The food is always the star of a Gingerline event – and the made-from-scratch, made-on-site succession of five geographically-different courses in The Grand Expedition were truly impressive: delicious, meticulously cooked and presented, authentic and filling. After your £75 tour of global cuisines you won’t need the KFC you can see on the way back to the tube. We were pleased with the slick way they handled veg/vegan preferences and allergies, especially as the actors don’t use any actual language.
It’s a ‘journey’ but unlike last season’s promenade Chambers of Flavour you sit tight and the world comes to you: with technically excellent 360 degree projection and sound, and some smart and crisp choreography from the passionate cast, it’s a truly enjoyable, immersive and all-enveloping evening.
But who’s it for? Shared boat-sized tables for six to ten makes it too gregarious for ‘date night’, in fact there’s a bit of an office party atmosphere, and you’d need a big crew for exclusive use. Probably best enjoyed by peeps who love supper clubs and inspired dining, but sauced with a hugely entertaining ketchup of dance and activity.
Drink’s well chosen too – especially the £25 wine flight which really did complement the dishes appropriately, and oh boy do we love us the Lovage vodka.
