Dinner Is Coming Review
Decked out in our medieval finery, we made the arduous journey to the kingdom of Easteros (The Vaults, Waterloo) for the interactive dining experience, Dinner Is Coming. We weren’t entirely sure what to expect as we headed down a dark, narrow corridor, but we dutifully selected a wristband as instructed (which would come to denote our House allegiance for the evening), and headed to the ‘tavern’.
The bar is reasonably well stocked, with a selection of wine, beer and spirits for sale, but the cocktails surpass them. There’s an interesting variety, and the names gave us a good inkling into the tone of the evening – we skipped over the Grandmother of Lizards and the Two Eyed Pigeon before settling on The Knight’s Crotch. It was a nice take on an espresso martini, with espresso, Benedictine, MaraskaMaraschino and vodka. We also enjoyed Magarine’s Rose, made of prosecco, rose syrup, vodka and rose petals, which managed to be floral without tasting of Turkish delight.
Cocktails in hand, we took a seat in the throne room and watched as the cast slowly filtered in. King Jaffrey and Queen Margarine graciously mingled with their assembled wedding guests, before his mother, Kirsty Bannister, entered and the show started.
Parodies of the major characters from Game of Thrones are on hand to celebrate the nuptials, including Jimmy Bannister, Lord Varicose, and everyone’s favourite dragon queen, Dani Taragon. They set the scene in a script laden with in-jokes about the series which have us all laughing (especially at the enthusiastic use of ravens). But things take a nasty twist when – spoiler alert – Jaffrey is murdered.
We’re then given the rules of the game. Easteros is going to try its hand at democracy as the throne in vacant, and we, the assembled lords and ladies, are going to decide who takes the throne by choosing our house allegiance (or wristband colour). Whoever is loyal to the winning monarch gets a free glass of wine (hurrah!) However, if we crown the murderer, terrible consequences will follow, so we’re going to have to get sleuthing over dinner to solve the crime.
We are then divided up according to our current wristbands and whisked off to another location to hear the secrets of our house, which was a nice touch as it means you could go more than once and have a different experience. We were just getting cosy in the comfortable Bannister tent, when the dinner bell is rung, and we’re summoned to the banquet. The banqueting hall is beautifully set out for a medieval celebration, with a bar at one end so the wine, or cocktails, can flow freely throughout the courses.
We were pleasantly surprised by the food, having expected standard meat-on-the-bone medieval fare, but we were treated to a full three courses that were diverse and delicious. I’m not a fan of soup but had a full portion of the pea and garlic bouillon. The main course came on large trays for you to share with your fellow guests, allowing you to have more or less of everything you wanted.
The mixed bean and sweet potato pie was warming and hearty, and the slow cooked shoulder of lamb was done to perfection, all kept light by an unusual and delicious crunchy green salad featuring, among other things, green courgette, candy beetroot, butter lettuce and peas. The poached pear dessert tasted of Christmas and was a great ending to the feast. Different appetites and dietary requirements are well catered for; we could have had considerably more of the starter and main if we’d wanted, and all of the dishes – apart from the meat itself – are vegan, gluten and dairy free (if you exclude the soured cream accompaniment to the dessert by informing them beforehand).
During the feasting, the characters roam, and do a good job of interacting with the guests and getting around the room, sprinkling clues about the murder and trying to gain your allegiance. Between courses, they act out further scenes, and as the drink flowed and the audience became more rowdy – all very in keeping with the medieval banquet feel – they handled impromptu audience participation expertly.
Once we’d enjoyed our dinner and made our allegiances, weheaded back to the throne room for the crowning, and the revealing of the murderer. Suffice to say, we felt pretty smugthat we got it right and chose the winning team, but we were so warm by that point, we donated our winning wine to some other guests. If you do intend to dress up (and why wouldn’t you?) make sure you have sufficient ventilation – it gets very hot in that banqueting hall.
If you take the world of Game of Thrones very seriously, you may not appreciate this parody, but if you’re a fan with a sense of humour, you will revel in the ensuing silliness. While it’s not actually necessary to have seen the program to enjoy what is, essentially, a murder mystery dinner show, much of the humour will be lost on you, as the laughs are derived from amusing parodies of the show, its characters, and its tropes. And if you haven’t watched Game of Thrones but intend to, a lot of what happens will constitute a spoiler (although if you spend any time on the internet, those bits have probably already been ruined for you.) If you want excellent food and a thoroughly entertaining Thrones-inspired evening of murder, you should book your tickets for Easterosimmediately.
Dinner Is Coming is on every day except Mondays until 2ndJune and costs £35 – £55 per ticket depending on the day.
Tickets available here: https://www.thevaults.london/dinner-is-coming
Written by Jennifer Melmore
