Forget The Menu – here are some destination supper clubs to die for

An ambitious brigade of the world’s best chefs are bringing their fresh takes to the table, withone-off events set in locations far from home territory. From an archipelago in the Arctic Circleto a high-altitude mountain retreat in the Himalayas only accessible on foot, these supper clubs tap into an ever-growing appetite for feasting alongside adventure.

Once upon a time, supper clubs were seen as homespun events that focused on connections to land, to food, to each other. But now, there is movement afoot. These are gatherings which act as incubators for community and unexpected encounters. They are not spaces designed for privacy and inner reflection, but intimacy and outer connection – at a shared table, guests graze elbows with a stranger, pour wine for another, swap stories and perspectives. Formalities fade; communion becomes commonplace.

These feasts also allow the globe-trotting chefs to flex their foraging skills, level-up their relationship with local produce, focus on regional flavours and bring their own finesse to traditional techniques. Some have even crafted multi-day itineraries with forays into their surroundings and cooking classes that get everyone elbow-deep in the action and roots them firmly in the destination.

The result is set to be an exciting way to delve into the flavours of each destination, plus the cultures that support them: fishing villages that were sustainable before it became a buzzword; farm-to-table initiatives; homegrown wine scenes.

And the night doesn’t end when the last plate has been licked clean; set in some of the most remarkable stays and cities around the world, there are postprandial naps to take in beautiful bedrooms, stars to gaze at (Michelin and otherwise) and environments that are as central an element as the feast. Increasingly, stomachs rumble for the resourceful and unpredictable – these souped-up supper clubs dish it out by the steaming bowlful.

INDIA: Merlin Labron-Johnson x Shakti Prana

The head chef behind Osip, Somerset, is heading to India’s mountains in March to lead two nine-day culinary retreats at Shakti Himalaya’s newest lodge, Prana. At 7,000ft, the lodge can only be accessed on foot and its altitude offers an extraordinary biodiversity of homegrown ingredients from wild barberry and holy basil to air potatoes and Himalayan pear (shaktihimalaya.com).

NORWAY: Max Coen x Kitchen on the Edge

Chef and co-owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Dorian London in Notting Hill, Max Coen’s obsession with the finest ingredients earned him a Michelin star in 2024. At Holmen, he’ll raid the Arctic larder of the Lofoten Islands and put his grill skills to use with a five-day fine-dining adventure into the archipelago’s coastal landscape (holmenlofoten.no).

TURKEY: Giorgos Samoilis x Arkestra

This April, Giorgos Samoilis – head chef and owner of zero-waste restaurant Cantina, on Sifnos – will be travelling from his beloved Greek island to join forces with Cenk Debensason of Arkestra in Istanbul. Seasonality and Mediterranean ingredients meet Michelin-starred execution at this one-off event that will elevate coastal classics to cult favourites (arkestra.com.tr).