Given its three-Michelin-starred status, The Fat Duck couldn’t be more unassuming – its discreet entrance & simply furnished dining room give no hint of the astonishing cooking that takes place here. Heston Blumenthal is the UK’s most famous chef & his 18-dish tasting menu is well worth its £150 price tag for the roller-coaster ride of thrills it delivers. Every morsel is pure fascination, from the first palate-cleansing mouthful of nitro-poached green tea & lime mousse to the last bite of a wafer-thin carrot & orange lollipop. In between, there are extraordinary flavour combinations such as grain-mustard ice cream with red cabbage gazpacho, sardine on toast sorbet & a dish that sets out to evoke the essence of autumn: diners are asked to place a tiny, oak-flavoured film on the tongue & to alternate between mouthfuls of truffle & oak-buttered toast & parfait of foie gras & matsutake (pine mushroom) purée: utterly delicious. There are wine matches by the glass, plus an extensive global list that includes big hitters as well as lesser-known labels. The Fat Duck has that rare combination of serving superb food in a light-hearted way.