Most of us are familiar with Six by Nico and their changing menus, by this one is something a bit different. With this menu, you are not just a diner, you are a detective!

When you walk through the door, you are met with the theatrics of a train conductor welcoming you ‘aboard’ the train, then at your table you are equipped with all you need to solve the murder case, including a case file that guides you through the courses.

As you eat through the courses, you get a series of interesting clues in different locations around the train, leading you to conclusions on the mysterious murder, but are they leading you in the right direction?

This menu gives you 2 different types of drinks pairing. You can go with the traditional wine pairings that accompany 5 of the courses, but this latest menu gives you the option of 5 accompanying cocktails (the wines are £35 and cocktails are £45). These are aptly named around the mystery and include ‘The Silent Assassin’ and ‘Ashes Of The Clue’. The themed apéritif this time is also named ‘Red Herring’.

The first course gives us our crime scene.

The courses begin with a goats cheese mousseline in the shape of a chef’s hat, in memory of the dearly departed chef. The salty goat’s cheese paired brilliantly with the sweetness of the beetroot and was a great, light start to the meal. I appreciated the light start with these menus, as I am usually struggling to finish the courses by the end of the meal!

We then visit Room 36.

The second course was a lightly smoked, warm ham hock terrine (this one was my favourite of the menu). This had a rich salty pork blanquette which was contrasted well by the lightly pickled vegetables. These veg also gave the dish the textures needed to pull it all together. The next clue is a mysterious bottle of Barbital, how did it get into the room, and who put it there?

Our next stop is ‘The Restaurant’.

The third course was a take on Tartiflette, with crispy potatoes, cheese, and a bacon jam that had a great balance of flavours and textures, this one disappeared from my plate very quickly!

This course also gives you 2 edible cigars, that hide another clue to the mystery!

The ‘Oyster Bar’ is our next destination.

Next up we have the fish course, which is poached sole that comes with a fantastically smooth and rich cauliflower purée as well as a special rich and decadent tartar sauce that’s poured over the fish at the table.

At this point, you have the option of a portion of deep-fried oysters (as a £9 addition). You get 2 as one portion, but we decided to share them between us. I thought these were a worthwhile addition to the meal, they were crispy and flavourful that came with a subtle roasted garlic emulsion that I made sure was all out of the shell!

A quick visit to the ‘Engine Room’ is next.

As we move to the back end of the menu, we have the chicken ballotine. This was served with a creamy truffle café au lait and a rich charcoal emulsion. I am not a fan of celery, but the small segments added some welcomed ‘crunch’ to the dish. The chicken was well cooked, saying moist and firm, which is then wrapped in bacon. I enjoyed the dish overall, but I did feel it was a little on the salty side.

We conclude the tour in ‘The Coffee Lounge’.

The final course is a take on tiramisu. This is an interesting course with a great balance of flavours, the sweetness of the vanilla espuma and contrasting bitterness of the gel coffee cubes make it rich but still light. I felt this was a great dish to end on. It also gives you the final clue, but is this enough to take you to the right conclusion?

After all the courses are finished, it’s deliberation time! Who is the murderer? Will you pick the right suspect or have you picked a red herring?

The Midnight Express menu is running until the 9th of March at a price of £50 per person.

Six By Nico
RU3, 309 Westgate Roof Terrace, Oxford OX1 1TR

Bitten were invited as guests, all views are our own