As a restaurant reviewer who can put a decent meal on the table and has consumed enough umpteen-course tasting menus to last a lifetime, it takes a lot for me to get me excited about dining out. But I just did.
The older I get the more I realise that, aside from great company – the kind that makes you oblivious to the venue or what you’re eating – the dining experiences you remember with the most affection are almost always the ones which succeeded in transporting you to a place of sheer fantasy, whether with spectacular interiors or a view like no other. The food, if not a secondary consideration, is like an orchestra accompanying a beautiful voice, with a menu reflecting the beyond-your-wildest-dreams setting.
Just as I love spending the night in the most unique hotel suites, finding extraordinary places in which to dine has become something of an obsession, so you can imagine my delight when I discovered that Brighton Museums are hosting a ‘Palace of Dragons Banquet’ – a ticketed Chinese Banquet held at the Royal Pavilion’s world-famous Banqueting Room this July, the first of its kind ever to be served in this breathtaking room, with its illusionist domed ceiling painted as an Eastern sky from which hangs the celebrated 9 metre-long crystal Dragon Chandelier, arguably the most auspicious object in the entire palace and weighing a ton. Guests of the Palace of Dragons will soon know the giddy sensation of dining beneath it!
For one night only this beloved seaside landmark on the South Coast will transport guests to a world of mythical splendour and Regency opulence. When it comes to fantasy experiences the Palace of the Dragon Banquet will make Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party look positively amateur, while it’s every bit as exclusive as getting hold of a golden ticket for Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. The lucky attendees, who are encouraged to wear something in keeping with the theme and with as much wow-factor as their surroundings, will be wined, dined and entertained in a manner last seen at the Royal Pavilion when the fun-loving Prince of Wales (later George IV) hosted his friends.
The many extravagancies of the Prince who made the Royal Pavilion his official royal residence have become the stuff of legend in the two hundred years since it was built. Commissioned by the Prince of Wales, who was a regular visitor to Brighton, as the ultimate ‘party palace’, his hardworking father, King George III, was scandalised by his son’s love of pleasure over duty and dreaded the day when he would leave the throne to his son. Alas, this happened far sooner than King George could have foreseen due to bouts of ‘madness’ – now believed to have been the result of the inherited genetic disorder porphyria – which saw the crown temporarily passed to his wayward son in a Regency lasting from 1811 – 1820.
Meanwhile, the Royal Pavilion was still being constructed. Built in three stages, when the Prince of Wales was dissatisfied with the effect created by the original architect Henry Holland, he appointed John Nash to redesign the entire building, something which took from 1815 – 1823. Completed three years after George III reclaimed his throne upon his return to health and at a cost of over £500,000, it’s Nash whom we have to thank for the most fantastical palace in Britain, for it was he who had the inspiration to add the onion domes and minarets, not to mention the chinoiserie interiors.
If you’ve ever visited the Royal Pavilion as an ordinary sightseer, you can well imagine the markedly different atmosphere that will be conjured up at nighttime. No longer tourists but esteemed guests, attendees of the Palace of Dragons Banquet will have the unique opportunity to revel in the extravagance of design on display at the Royal Pavilion; an architectural and interior masterpiece partnering a striking Indian-styled exterior that is reminiscent of the Taj Mahal, with jaw-droppingly spectacular Chinese interiors including illusionary ceilings painted with a 3D effect so as to appear domed, there is simply no where else like it.
In keeping with the wonderment of the Royal Pavilion, the evening commences with ‘Dragon’s Breath Punch’ and canapés in the Great Kitchen with its palm tree-styled pillars stretching up to incredibly high ceilings. This is followed by ‘dragon-inspired entertainment’ in the elegant Music Room before guests, in their ‘fancy finery’ are shown to the famous Banqueting Room and take their seats for what may very well turn out to be the most remarkable dinner of their lives.
A fully realised fantasy, this theatrical shared fine dining experience, the ultimate supper club, will feature a highly imaginative three-course fine dining menu concluding with a ‘Dragon’s Egg’ dessert specially created for the occasion. A harpist will perform throughout the dinner, with music inspired by the power and beauty of the dragon, and there will also be atmospheric storytelling with vivid tales of dragons.
Believed to have once said that “There is nothing more contemptible than half-measures,” George IV would wholeheartedly have approved of the Palace of the Dragons Banquet, with organisers having kept His Majesty’s love of the ostentatious ever in mind. Whether you’re a history, architecture or interior design buff, or simply love dressing up for an evening out and collecting unique experiences, this immersive event, open to less than a hundred guests, is almost the stuff of legend before it takes place. I haven’t felt this excited in a long time.
Tickets to ‘The Palace of Dragons Banquet’ at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton on Thursday 2nd July from 6.30pm – 11pm are priced at £195 per person and include a ‘Dragon’s Breath’ cocktail and canapes on arrival, a three-course course dinner, alcoholic and soft drinks, access to the ‘Dragons’ exhibition and after-hours entertainment. Members receive a 15% discount. Places are strictly limited and advanced booking is required. For more information and to reserve your place visit the website.
