Why we created Pay What You Want at Eat Street
Surprise tasting menu. Eight people around the table. And at the end of the evening, you decide what the food was worth.
Our Pay What You Want dining experience in Cowes is back, and if you’ve seen the announcement and wondered how it actually works, here’s a little more about the idea—and why we wanted to bring it back.
A chance to experience Eat Street
Much of what we do at Eat Street happens at somebody’s special occasion. A wedding, a birthday, a private dinner or a gathering in a holiday home. We love being part of those moments, but you shouldn’t need a big occasion to enjoy our food.
Pay What You Want opens that door.
It gives you the chance to come to Eat Street HQ, settle in for an evening and discover what we do. You bring someone you enjoy spending time with; we take care of the menu.
It also brings together the things we love about hospitality: cooking something interesting, welcoming people into our space and seeing a table come together over food.
Why leave the price up to you?
Usually, you look at a menu and its prices before deciding what to order. With Pay What You Want, we hand over different parts of that decision.
We choose the food. You experience it. Then you decide what it was worth.
There’s a bit of trust on both sides, and that’s part of the appeal. You’re trusting us to cook you something worth coming out for, and we’re trusting you to put a value on what you’ve enjoyed.
The cooking still has everything you’d expect from Eat Street: bold flavours, food made from scratch and care in every plate. The surprise menu gives us room to be creative and gives you a reason to try something you might never have ordered yourself.
What does the evening include?
You’ll join us at Eat Street HQ in Cowes for a surprise tasting menu, served over the course of the evening.
We keep the menu under wraps, so discovering each dish is part of the experience. Come with an appetite and a little curiosity.
Drinks are available to purchase and are charged separately from your Pay What You Want food payment.
If you have allergies or specific dietary requirements, please speak to us beforehand so we can confirm whether the evening is suitable for you.
Who will you be dining with?
Our original Pay What You Want experience takes place around The Eat Street Table, with eight guests sharing the evening.
For each event, we draw four people from the registrations, and each selected person brings one guest.
That guest can be your partner, a friend, your mum, your sibling—whoever you’d like to bring. You don’t need to sign up as a couple.
You’ll arrive knowing your guest, and share the table with six other people. Food gives everyone something to talk about, and the small setting is a big part of what makes this experience different.
How do you get a place?
Register your interest through our website. We select four people for each event and contact them to offer a place for themselves and their guest.
Registering enters you into the draw; it doesn’t guarantee a booking. With just eight seats at each evening, spaces are limited.
If you registered for our previous Pay What You Want evenings, please sign up again for this relaunch so we know you’re still interested.
Is this the same as Kitchen Open?
There are two ways to experience Pay What You Want with us.
The Eat Street Table is the shared-table experience described here, with places allocated through the registration draw.
Kitchen Open Pay What You Want evenings are separately bookable events, where you can book a table of two or four. Those events have their own booking information and deposit terms, so check the relevant event listing when booking.
Fancy leaving the menu to us?
Bring someone whose company you love. Try something unexpected. Make an evening of it.
We’ll do the cooking—and leave the final food value to you.
Register your interest through the Pay What You Want sign-up form on our website.
FAQ's
At Eat Street HQ in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Our original Pay What You Want evenings take place around The Eat Street Table, with eight guests.
No. You register as an individual. If selected, you bring one guest of your choice—it doesn’t have to be a partner.
Our Pay What You Want menus are always a surprise. Discovering the dishes when you sit down is part of the experience. If you’d like to book The Eat Street Table and have us write you a menu get in touch
No. Drinks are charged separately from your Pay What You Want food payment.
Please speak to us beforehand so we can confirm whether the evening’s menu is suitable for you. A surprise menu should never mean uncertainty about whether you can safely enjoy your meal.
Yes. Please complete the sign-up form again for the relaunch, even if you were on our previous list.