Taking a four-year-old for a five-course dinner at a five-star London hotel could either be a brilliant idea or an expensive disaster.
Thankfully, our trip to Le Petit Chef was very much the former. I took my four-year-old daughter Mia and her dad to experience the “world’s smallest chef”, an immersive dining concept where a tiny animated chef appears on your table and seemingly prepares your dinner in front of you.
And while Mia wasn’t exactly converted into a miniature foodie, more on that later, she was completely mesmerised by the experience.
An immersive dinner experience for all the family. (Image Supplied)
Le Petit Chef isn’t just a London phenomenon. The concept now has more than 135 locations around the world, using 3D projection technology to combine dinner with an immersive show.
In London, it takes place at Kona inside the five-star Taj 51 Buckingham Gate, Suites and Residences, just a short walk from Buckingham Palace. And from the moment you arrive, it feels like an occasion.
Dinner with the world’s smallest chef
The surroundings are elegant and grown-up rather than feeling like a children’s attraction. But once you’re seated, the lights go down and your table is transformed.
Suddenly a tiny chef is scampering around in front of you, climbing over ingredients and getting into various scrapes as he seemingly prepares the next dish.
Then, when his work is finished, the real version arrives from the kitchen. Mia thought it was magical.
If you’ve ever attempted a lengthy restaurant meal with a four-year-old, you’ll understand how unusual it is to have them eagerly anticipating the next course rather than asking when they can go home.
Every time the lights dimmed, she knew Le Petit Chef was about to return and immediately became engrossed again.
And it wasn’t just the children watching. Her dad and I were equally fascinated by how cleverly the animation and food worked together.
Five courses for Mum and Dad
Mia’s dad and I opted for the Classic Menu, which costs £139 per person plus a 12.5% service charge.
Given the price, the food needed to deliver and thankfully it did. We started with heritage tomato and mozzarella served with pesto, roasted pine nuts and crispy basil. Next came a goat’s cheese, onion and mushroom quiche with microgreens and a balsamic drizzle.
The third course was thyme chicken roulade accompanied by potato saffron velouté, buttered beans and raspberry coulis. Then came duck leg confit with buttered broccoli, beetroot spirals and truffle jus.
It felt like a proper grown-up dining experience rather than an attraction where the food is simply there to fill the gaps between entertainment. Her dad and I genuinely loved the food, which was important because Le Petit Chef needs to work on two levels for families: the children need to enjoy the spectacle, but the adults still need to feel like they’re having a special meal. For us, it did.
Mia had rather different opinions
Mia had the Junior Menu, which costs £69 per person plus service and is officially designed for “little gourmets” aged six to 12. She’s four, so perhaps unsurprisingly, she wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about all five courses as her parents were.
The Junior Menu starts with the same heritage tomato and mozzarella, followed by the goat’s cheese, onion and mushroom quiche and thyme chicken roulade. Then things moved into much more appealing four-year-old territory: penne in a cream cheese sauce with Parmigiano and the option of basil chicken.
Or, as far as Mia was concerned, cheesy pasta. That disappeared considerably more enthusiastically.
And then there was dessert. That disappeared too.
So if you’re taking a younger or fussier child, I’d be realistic about how much of the menu they’re likely to eat. Mia was far more interested in cheesy pasta and chocolate than goat’s cheese quiche, but she’s four, so I can’t exactly hold that against her. More importantly, even when she wasn’t eating, she was never
The food is an adventure all on its own. (Image Supplied)
Yes, really. Obviously, nobody was handing the blowtorch to our four-year-old. That particular part of the experience was firmly Mum-and-Dad territory. But Mia loved watching it.
And admittedly, so did we. There’s something ridiculous about sitting inside a five-star London hotel and suddenly being handed a blowtorch to finish your pudding. After watching a tiny animated chef cook for us all evening, it was finally our turn. It makes dessert feel like a proper finale rather than simply the last course of the meal – and it’s exactly the kind of moment you talk about afterwards.
What other menus are available?
We chose the Classic Menu, but there are several options. Those wanting to go one step further can opt for the Grand Menu at £149 per person plus service, while a Vegetarian Menu is also available.
Children have the £69 Junior Menu we chose for Mia. I’d definitely recommend looking through the menus before booking, particularly if you’re bringing younger children. This is a sophisticated dining experience and, as we discovered, a four-year-old may have very different ideas about what constitutes the best course of the evening.
It’s expensive, but I’d save it for something special
There is no getting away from the price. Our two Classic Menus at £139 each and Mia’s £69 Junior Menu came to £347 before service. Add the 12.5% service charge and you’re looking at just over £390 before drinks.
That’s a significant amount of money for a family meal. And if I judged Mia’s £69 menu purely on the amount she actually ate, I’d probably struggle to justify it. Her culinary highlights were essentially cheesy pasta and chocolate dessert. But that misses a large part of what you’re paying for. Le Petit Chef isn’t simply dinner.
You’re paying for the five-star setting, five courses, the projection technology, the show and the experience of sitting together as a family and watching the story unfold. Her dad and I loved the food. Mia loved the show. And all three of us were entertained.
I wouldn’t spend nearly £400 on an ordinary family dinner, but for a special occasion I think Le Petit Chef really comes into its own. A milestone birthday, Christmas treat, grandparent’s birthday, anniversary where you want to include the children or simply a memorable family day in London would all be good reasons to book.
I can particularly see it working for a multigenerational celebration because nobody feels as though they’re compromising. The children get the magic, while the adults still get the five-star setting and a genuinely enjoyable meal.
The verdict: 5/5
Le Petit Chef isn’t cheap, and families should know that before booking. But we absolutely loved our evening. Mia may not have been converted into a fan of goat’s cheese quiche, but give her cheesy pasta and chocolate dessert and she was delighted. She spent the evening captivated by the tiny chef running around our table, made an American friend along the way and watched Mum and Dad finish the night wielding a blowtorch over dessert.
Meanwhile, her dad and I had a five-course meal we genuinely enjoyed. That’s ultimately why I’m giving Le Petit Chef five stars. It manages to do something that’s surprisingly difficult: create a restaurant experience that’s exciting enough to keep a four-year-old entertained while still feeling like a proper night out for her parents.
It’s a splurge, but for a special family occasion, it’s one we’re going to remember.
★★★★★ 5/5
More information and Le Petit Chef’s 135+ worldwide locations can be found at lepetitchef.com.
