Over the years, supper clubs have become an increasingly important part of the UK’s food culture, allowing people to experience top quality food in a sociable atmosphere that most high-end restaurants lack. The Water House Project, a restaurant-cum-dining experience in East London, began its life as a supper club but even as the concept has grown and moved away a communal dining set-up, owner Gabriel Waterhouse has managed to retain a uniquely convivial atmosphere.

Found moments away from Regent’s Canal in Cambridge Heath, The Water House Project opened its doors in 2021 and sees Gabriel serve a modern, seasonal tasting menu to guests, with just one seating per evening. Diners may be sat on separate tables but the barrierless nature of the expansive kitchen allows them to watch the chefs at work and ensures the high-ceilinged space still has a feeling of intimacy to it. A welcome drink on arrival meanwhile, as well as a choice of digestifs from decanters at the end of the meal only adds to the feeling that guests aren’t just being fed, they’re being hosted.

Gabriel’s ten-course evening tasting menu (or seven-course Saturday lunch menu) changes every season and is led by flavour and produce rather than a specific cuisine, although there’s a distinct Nordic flare to the cookery. A snack of Herdwick lamb hot cross buns might come followed by a punchy autumn truffle custard served with hen of the woods, while you can expect creative seafood dishes such as dover sole and crab tortellini with apple dill and sea herbs, and perhaps an ingot parfait to finish. The tasting menu comes paired with a series of carefully chosen wines, all sourced from small scale producers practicing low-intervention wine-making, and there are also soft pairings available.

It's no easy task recreating the atmosphere of a supper club in what is to all intents and purposes a fine dining restaurant but The Water House Project has managed to do exactly that. By removing the barrier between the chefs and diners and avoiding the formality so often associated with high-end restaurants, Gabriel has created a dining experience that’s truly unique.