Gingerline, the Grand Expedition review
Upon receiving an invitation to my first immersive dining encounter, I pondered its potential to entice and captivate audiences who typically opt for the more conventional pre-theatre meal followed by a West End show for a night’s entertainment in this great city of ours. The experience combines both, offering a convivial, entertaining, and tasty evening.

Gingerline have landed back in London with a revamped version of their Grand Expedition experience.
Gingerline has hosted various themed dining adventures over the years aiming to take you on an adventure where taste helps tell the story. Each of their productions pulls together an impressive list of experts in their fields - actors, chefs, set designers, artists and more to bring their vision to life.
Since 2010 Gingerline has been creating experiential dining experiences. In 2020 they set their sights on expanding their remarkable culinary journeys worldwide. After ventures in Shanghai, Shenhzen and Soeul, Korea they have landed back in London with a revamped version of their GRAND EXPEDITION experience, initially introduced in 2018. This updated version features fresh destinations, costumes, menus and a secretive new location (though they do hint at the general area upon booking). Throughout the reservation process, guess can specify any dietary restrictions and if booked separately they can request to dine with specific companions. While there is no dress code, attendees are given ideas to consider if you wish to dress to the theme of the evening.
The experience offers travel without leaving your seat, eating, and drinking your way through the world, and no passport required!
Searching for the location leads you down a rather ordinary looking mews-like East London street to the door of a shipping container structure, making the venue look misleadingly small, As you enter, one descends stairs and we began weaving, winding and ducking down a dimly lit corridor of suitcases and glowing hurricane lamps toward the Travel Emporium bar for a welcome cocktail, which you then carry through the “clouds” to a large warehouse where you find an impressive fleet of hot air balloons.
We met a couple who had travelled from Portsmouth and had attended many of these evenings. Meeting enthusiastic return customers boded well for what lay ahead.
After all the guests had settled in, we were welcomed over the speakers (with a few housekeeping notes) and the evenings proceedings began. Throughout the night audience participation is encouraged so one must arrive with the mind set of getting stuck in whenever possible. The hot air balloons are fired up (with the help of a giant match box set, a ladder and a few volunteer guests) - we have lift off! Guests are transported across the globe to far flung locations. As the fleet of hot air balloons travel between place to place, the space is transformed by the moving projections on the walls, the suspended table centrepieces, simple decorative changes around the room and the performer’s costumes.
Not to reveal too much of the details and ruin the surprise I can tell you it is an “Around the World 100 Minute Journey”, travelling without leaving your seat, eating, and drinking your way through the world, and no passport required!

The 4-course menu will transport you to the locations you viisit.
The 4-course menu reflects the locations you visit beginning with the Coxhill’s Concoction which is poured from a teapot into a glass cup and saucer with an orange and herbal garnish and celeriac “sugar cubes” to add along with. In keeping with involving the audience, the miming gibberish speaking cast of performers will prompt different guests for each course to read a card introducing our new location and details of the dish in front of you. Some require assembling, others a sprinkle of a last ingredient to complete the dish. Everything was flavoursome and well considered. The evening was dotted with folk dances, theatrics, acrobatics and more, keeping everyone active and entertained throughout the evening.
With no basis of comparison, we asked our dining companions if it was as good as previous events. Overall, they were very happy but mentioned the seating arrangement slightly hampered one’s ability to participate in the same way as they had in the past.
As the evening ended everyone spilled out of the dreamworld we had just experienced into the night feeling very satisfied indeed.
Location: Film Shed, 28 Millers Avenue, Dalston, E8 2DS. Price: Tickets are available in Standard and VIP options starting from £99 per person. Book now.
Words by Natascha Milsom
Moving to a new home can be an exciting yet overwhelming experience. One of the key decisions you'll have to make when planning your move is how to transport your belongings. While there are several options available, van rental…
Robyn Orlin had her first encounter with the rickshaw drivers of Durban at the young age of five or six, an experience that left such a deep impression on her that she later sought to learn more about their fate. Rickshaws were first introduced to Durban in 1892…
Things are not going well for the protagonist of KAREN. The show opens as she is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend of four years, Joe, on a birthday trip to Alton Towers. Unexpected heartbreak as she’s halfway through eating a calippo and dressed in a pac-a-mac is just the beginning - as Joe starts dating her office nemesis, Karen…
TOZI, derived from the affectionate Venetian slang for “a close-knit group of friends,” is the brainchild of an Italian trio that met while opening Shoreditch House under the Soho House Group. In 2013, Chef Maurilio Molteni, fresh from his time as Head Chef at Shoreditch House and developing the menu at Cecconi’s, opened the first TOZI restaurant in London…
Pioneering choreographer Merce Cunningham’s work will “forever” be revered. The Van Cleef & Arpels Dance Reflections festival has brought two of his works back to life performed by the Lyon Opera Ballet at Sadlers’ Wells…
Multitudes at Southbank Centre will reimagine live music through bold collaborations across dance, theatre, and visual arts…
Multitudes Festival · Ed Atkins, Tate Britain · Brick Lane Jazz Festival · Teatro La Plaza’s Hamlet · Holly Blakey: A Wound with Teeth & Phantom · Roof East · Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival 2025 · London Marathon 2025 · ROOH – Within Her · Sultan Stevenson Presents El Roi · Carmen at The Royal Opera House · The Big Egg Hunt 2025 · Architecture on Stage: New Architects · The Friends of Holland Park Annual Art Exhibition 2025
Born in 1937 in what is now West Bengal, Arpita Singh is one of India’s pioneering post-independence artists. Remembering marks her first institutional solo exhibition outside India, featuring key works from her prolific six-decade long career…
Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary will be marked with a free four-day celebration in May 2025, featuring art displays, live performances, music, workshops, and family activities….
Autumn 2025 will bring two exciting exhibitions to the Barbican: ‘Dirty Looks’, a bold fashion exhibition exploring imperfection and decay, and an innovative art installation by Lucy Raven in The Curve…
The Hippodrome is one of Europe’s and the UK’s most storied buildings and gaming venues. Not just gaming, but an entertainment venue in general. It has a long history that stretches back over a century and remains a popular tourist and local attraction to this day…
There were two compelling reasons to attend this performance: the venue itself and the cutting-edge artist collective known as (LA) HORDE. Sadler’s Wells’ newest state-of-the-art venue is a welcome addition to Stratford, boasting rehearsal studios…
The lights come up on a pseudo-court room scene: a table jostling with microphones, a jug of water and an uncomfortable looking metal fold out chair are exposed by an interrogative spotlight…
In a bustling city like London, where noise pollution is common, achieving clear and immersive sound at home can be challenging. Speaker stands help create an optimal listening experience by positioning your speakers at the perfect height and angle…
Robyn Orlin: We wear our wheels with pride · Architecture on Stage: Lütjens Padmanabhan · Jay Bernard: Joint · Black is the Color of My Voice · Joe Webb Trio · Rhodri Davies at Cafe OTO · Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award 2025 · Lyon Opera Ballet: Cunningham Forever · AVA London · Sister Midnight · Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo · Eunjo Lee · Arpita Singh: Remembering · Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press: Disarm · Bunhead Bakery · Time & Talents
Gabriele Beveridge is known for her sculptural and conceptual practice that combines materials as diverse as hand-blown glass, photo chemicals, and found images…
Looking for something truly special this Mother’s Day? There are a variety of unique gifts and experiences to take advantage of in London, whether your mother loves exploring world-class art galleries and museum exhibitions, wandering through historic homes filled with fascinating stories and remarkable collections, indulging in a luxurious spa treatment, or enjoying an unforgettable dining experience..
After 18 successful years at Edinburgh Fringe, The Big Bite Size Show arrives in London for the first time at The Pleasance Theatre, no less. A gem of a place for fringe theatre in London…
The legacy company of the pioneering American choreographer Trisha Brown opened the Van Cleef & Arpels Dance Reflections Festival at Sadler’s Wells with a striking performance…
180 Studios will present the largest showcase of photographer and filmmaker Gabriel Moses’ work to date, featuring over 70 photographs and 10 films in March…
Cartier Exhibition at the V&A · Giuseppe Penone: Thoughts in the Roots · Antony Gormley: WITNESS · Richard Wright at Camden Art Centre · The Carracci Cartoons: Myths in the Making · Eileen Perrier: A Thousand Small Stories · Ed Atkins at Tate Britain · Richard Hunt: Linear Peregrination · Nolan Oswald Dennis at Gasworks · Nora Turato: pool7 · In House: Ree Bradley and Pete Gomes at Studio Voltaire…
The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew Gardens will showcase new botanical works, cinematic installations, and the connections between artists and trees…
We've all been there — the necessity of buying new clothes, skincare or beauty items but the desire to save money for other, more necessary things…
London and its surrounding areas are home to some of the most prestigious and historic racecourses in the world. These venues attract racing enthusiasts from around the globe, offering thrilling races, world-class facilities, and unforgettable experiences…
Orchid Festival · Alice Sara Ott: John Field & Beethoven · Our Mighty Groove at Sadler’s Wells East · Seth Troxler at Fabric · North London Laughs – A Charity Comedy Night · London Symphony Orchestra: Half Six Fix – Walton · In Focus: Amir Naderi · Artist Talk: Citra Sasmita - Into Eternal Land · Noah Davis at Barbican · Theaster Gates: 1965: Malcolm in Winter: A Translation Exercise · Ai Weiwei: A New Chapter · Galli: So, So, So · Somaya Critchlow: The Chamber
Design and Disability will showcase the radical contributions of Disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent designers, exploring accessibility, innovation, and identity through 170 objects spanning fashion, art, architecture, and technology…
Robyn Orlin is a South African dancer and choreographer born in Johannesburg. Nicknamed in South Africa "a permanent irritation", she is well known for reflecting the difficult and complex realities in her country. Robyn integrates different media into her work (text, video, plastic arts) to she investigates a certain theatrical reality which has enabled her to find her unique choreographic vocabulary…
The Cinnamon Club had completely flown under the radar for me. It is in a pocket of London I rarely visit, and even if I did, the building’s exterior gives little indication of what’s inside. But now that I’ve discovered it, I already have plans to return with my husband - and in my mind, a list of friends I would recommend it to…