Osteria Francescana - The Ultimate Culinary Experience

 

Let me start out by saying that if you haven't watched Chef's Table on Netflix - you need to. Seriously, stop reading and just go. The series takes you through the life and culinary journeys of the most critically acclaimed chefs in the world, including Chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana (Season 1, Episode 1).  After simply falling in love with Chef Bottura and the unique passion he brings to transforming traditional Italian food in April of 2015, my husband and I started planning our trip to Italy to visit this three Michelin Star, number two rated restaurant in the world to taste it for ourselves. 

CHECK OUT MY COMPLETE TRAVEL GUIDE TO MODENA HERE

 

THE OVERLY DRAMATIC STORY OF HOW I SNAGGED ONE OF THE RAREST RESERVATIONS IN THE WORLD

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As you can imagine, reservations are not that easy to come by.  With only 12 tables for lunch and 12 tables for dinner - you need to be on your game to score one of these coveted spots. Reservations open up 3 months in advance (example: bookings for the entire month of July will open up on April 1st) and can be made online or you can try calling.  I had already booked our flights and hotel stay for Modena, so I was determined to get a reservation during one of the 3 days I had in town - lunch or dinner didn't matter to me.

Here's what happened:

• I set calendar reminders for my husband and I for 12:01 am on August 1st Italian time (to make November reservations). 
• Unfortunately, unlike many high end restaurants in the US that give you an exact time for when the reservation system opens up, this is Italy and it could be at any point so I needed to leave my schedule open to try for a while.
• 12:01 am - Once the timer went off, my husband and I went to work, clicking and clicking.  And for a while we tried... and tried... literally clicking every 5-10 minutes to refresh the site until November reservations opened up. I clicked for 9 hours - until just after midnight my time.  At that point I was exhausted and figured that it could be hours, if not days until it opened up - so I went to sleep with the intention of trying again in the morning.  I also knew that I would be in Italy for over 2 weeks so I had plenty of dates that I could make work even if my preferred dates happened to get booked. Worst case scenario, I wake up in the morning and we have to make reservations for another day and just drive from Florence to Modena for dinner - it would be worth it. No big deal; time for bed.
• 4am - I woke up in a panic.  Holy crap, what have I done? What was I thinking going to sleep??? This is the number 2 restaurant in the world, the worst case scenario is that I don't get a reservation and miss my chance completely even though I've already booked our entire trip around this one meal!!! So I got my ass out of bed.
• 4:05 am  - I stumble into the living room in the dark, open up my laptop - blinded by the glow of the screen - and hit refresh on the reservation site... Only to find that my biggest fear had come true; the entire month of November was booked solid for both lunch and dinner.  Sometime between the time I went to sleep at midnight to the time I woke up at 4am every single table had been reserved. How is that even possible?
• So what did I do? I started crying. Not something I'm proud of and believe me, I get that there are way more important things going on in the world, but in my world at the moment this was catastrophic. And come on, I'm a luxury travel blogger, what do you want from me?!? My husband loves to tell the story of how he woke up at 5am, wondered why I wasn't in bed and found me in the dark, tears streaming down my face staring at my computer (for some reason he forgets to tell the part about how he laughed, patted me on the head and went back to bed). 
• Through my tears, I frantically put myself on the waiting list for every single day I would be in Italy - basically putting in the notes that I was willing to come any day, any time, just tell me when! I'm sure they could smell my desperation and the pathetic tremble in my voice. 
• So I waited... and waited... basically planning my last resort of showing up at the front door of the restaurant for lunch and dinner each day I was in Modena until they felt sorry for me (or annoyed, I didn't really care about the details) and finally just let me sit in the corner of the kitchen.
• 3 days later I got the email I had been hoping for - I was in! They had a cancellation and they were able to get me in for lunch on one of the days we were actually in Modena - hallelujah! I happened to be in my office, in a meeting when I got the email and screamed out loud.   All the anticipation and tears and anxiety had paid off, we were set.  We were later told by Lara (Chef Bottura's wife) that they often get people booking several spots initially then cancelling, so it's always a good idea to put your name on the waitlist because they are often able to fit people in. 

 

THE MEAL

Everything about the meal was superb.  We were warmly greeted by Lara, wife of Chef Bottura, and she was just as lovely and engaging as you would expect.  We sat in one of two small and simply decorated dining rooms with only 5 other tables.  There are two tasting menu options - Traditional, based on the dishes he is known for and Sensations, his newer culinary experiments. I'm not sure if this is always the case, but we had the option of a combination of the two menus, highlighting the best of both in roughly 15 courses - which is of course the one we ordered. 

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Over the course of our three hour lunch our senses were challenged unlike ever before as we witnessed the art of food at the highest level. With every single dish, we were surprised by the ingenious flavor pairings, taking in the magnificent colors and textures in each creation. What Osteria Francescana brings to the world of food is masterful.  To provide context - we recently ate at the #5 rated restaurant in the world in New York City and it doesn't hold a candle to what Chef Bottura and his team are presenting at Osteria Francescana.  At the end of our meal, we were lucky enough to get a private tour of the kitchen to meet the artists behind each dish, including Chef Taka who is the creator of the famous dessert - Oops, I Dropped the Lemon Tart! The staff were all so kind and gracious, even asking if they could take a group photo with us - my heart nearly exploded with joy as you can see from the gitty grin I have plastered on my face in the picture.  Unfortunately, Chef Bottura's train was delayed from Milan and we were unable to meet him - our only regret of the entire experience. We dream about the day we will return, fondly looking back at the memories we made as we ate the best meal of our lives. 

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IMPORTANT DETAILS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Confirming Your Reservation: You have to confirm your reservation either via email or by phone 48 hours prior to your reservation date. If you do not do this, you will lose your table. The easiest thing to do is to ask your concierge at the hotel to call and confirm for you - just don't forget!
• Parking: We struggled with this a bit ourselves, so please read carefully so you don't make the same mistakes we did.
  •  The city center does not allow for cars to drive through and many streets are actually restricted for use other than by special vehicles, so obey your GPS because you can get a ticket if you're not careful. We made the mistake of making a wrong turn and luckily a kind Italian gentleman flagged us down and helped us out.  Because of this, you can't park in front of the restaurant,  you'll need to park on or near Viale Vittorio Veneto 59 and walk about 3-5 minutes to Osteria Francescana.  This is a very safe street (photos below) so definitely park here if you can.
  • Here's where it's even trickier - you'll need to pay for parking at one of the parking meter machines ON the street you are parked on (not on a parallel one like I did the first time, you can only use machines ON the street you are parked on).  The machines are there, you may just have to walk up and down the street a bit to find them. You can only use cash or debit cards, not credit cards, which you would not be able to understand unless you can read in Italian so I suggest bringing coins.  
  • Please keep in mind that this is a very traditional Italian area so we found it hard to find anyone in the vacinity of where we parked that spoke English - but if you need change there is a small convenience store that you can pop into.  
  • Finally, the meter says something in Italian about 1pm - 2pm being free, confusing us even more. I asked a local and they explained that the hours you pay for take this into account so if you arrive at 12pm, pay for 4 hours, you are actually covered until 5pm since it includes the additional free hour of parking. This probably only matters if you are coming for lunch, but it's important to note just in case.  I've included a GoogleMap below to explain what I'm talking about. 
• Attire: Osteria Francescana is a fine dining restaurant, so you'll want to dress accordingly.  For our lunch reservations, I wore a simple black dress with heels and my husband wore slacks and a blazer - smart business attire. This seemed to be on par with the other diners. 
• Cost: You can expect to pay around $500 per couple for the tasting menu, before tip and alcohol. With a wine pairing, it's another $150 per person. Of course, you can always order a la carte, but I would only suggest this if you were planning on returning - otherwise you'll miss the whole experience.  Also, it is customary to tip at fine dining restaurants throughout Europe - 10-15% is sufficient. 
• Cameras: They are a bit strict about this... if you simply have a point and shoot or phone camera, that seems to be just fine; however, anything larger needs to be approved ahead of time. I had emailed about my camera (a basic DSLR, nothing too fancy) and was told it would be fine as long as it's not professional gear - no tri-pods, flash, bulky lenses, etc. However, when I arrived, I was asked by the manager not use my camera - I'm assuming he felt it looked professional.  I assured him that there would be no tools and I would be discrete and was given permission... kind of.  Of course, this made me nervous about it the entire time, so I didn't get the photos I wanted. Just keep this in mind when you go, but I did see other people at the tables around us taking photos with their smaller, personal cameras with no problem.  I do realize that this is to ensure that others dining are not bothered and the experience of the meal is not ruined - but this is one of those once in a lifetime meals so I had to do what I had to do. 

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For even more fun photos and info on this beautiful city, 

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY COMPLETE TRAVEL GUIDE TO MODENA HERE

Modena, Italy

An Exclusive Look into Diner en Blanc - All You Need to Know Before You Go

Last night my husband and I attended our very first Diner en Blanc event in San Diego and it was incredible - exclusive guest list, secret location, gorgeous decor, delicious food, a breathtaking view, new friends and live music, what more could you want out of a Thursday night? Definitely one of the most memorable nights I've had in a long time; however, the preparation leading up to the event was confusing and at times overwhelming as a newbie.  In order to ensure that you don't make the same mistakes that we did, I'm here to give you all of the inside tips into planning and preparing for your next Diner en Blanc event in your city, including a Packing Checklist PDF for your convenience. 

Diner En Blanc Packing Checklist

what is diner en blanc?

Diner en Blanc a dinner club event that started in Paris nearly 30 years ago, bringing friends together to share a meal. Trending in popularity, it has grown tremendously and is now held all over the world for thousands of participants. The event is held only once a year in various cities (not all cities on the same date) to an exclusive invite only list of members - for the most part consisting of millennial foodies (yes, I realize that's a major generalization but is there really a more self indulgent age group that would want to attend this type of ridiculous night? I didn't think so.).  All participants are strictly informed on what to bring and are instructed to wear ALL WHITE (not off white or ivory). There are even threats that if you do not adhere to the dress code, you will not be allowed on the bus and will be turned away - yikes! This is a 100% Bring Your Own Everything event (tables, chairs, food, wine, etc.), the only thing that you get for the cost of the night is transfer to the location and the general lighting and music for the evening - everything else you provide yourself.

In summary - it's an evening dinner party where guests wear all white, show up at a secret location with all of their own food and supplies, break bread with strangers and drink and dance the night away. 

 

How to Score an Invite

The only way to get an invite is either to be invited by a current member or sign up on the waiting list for your city. You can find your city on the International Diner en Blanc website and request to be on the waiting list for the following year's event. There's no guarantee you will actually get a chance to buy tickets, but that's the only option you've got unless a current member sponsors you (so you may want to suck up to some friends who went last year). Once you do buy a ticket, you automatically become an official member and will be invited back the following year. 

 

Pre Planning - What to bring and where to get it

Planning is where all the stress comes from. As first timers, we were more prepared than some and made a few rookie mistakes along the way. This is also where you can end up spending a decent amount of money; surprisingly going to a public dinner party can be super expensive! Please keep in mind that these are my own suggestions for what to bring based on my own experience and is exactly how I will be doing it next year knowing what I know now, but be sure to follow the specific instructions you receive from your table host and make your own judgements. Here's a list of items that you should expect to bring and my recommendations on each one:

• 1 Folding Square Table Between 24 & 36 inches

  • Even if you are dining with other guests, they require that a square table is brought for every 2 people. This is one of your heaviest and bulkiest items and was one of the hardest items for us to find so don't wait until the last minute as we heard from many people who couldn't find one anywhere.  You can also rent a table, but that's not cheap either and a pain to have to pick up and return - you're better of spending the extra money and buying one. You're looking for a card table, but the best ones I saw were ones that either folded in half or were camping tables in a bag because they were light and easy to carry. The table does not have to be white as it will be covered with a table cloth. Here are options of the best ones I saw: 

    • Fold in Half Square Table, 34 Inch, White

    • Table in a Bag, Aluminum Portable Table With Carrying Bag, Grey

• 2 White Folding Chairs

  • The two chairs are also bulky items, so be sure to find light folding chairs. The chairs need to be as white as possible, but if there is a metal framing it wasn't a problem as long as the backing and seat were white. You are allowed to cover them with white chair covers, but I would not suggest going this direction as it adds just another item to the list. We bought our chairs from Ikea, but I've also provided a link to another acceptable option that you can have delivered from Amazon. 

    • Ikea Gunde Folding Chair in White

    • Hercules Series 800-Pound Premium White Plastic Folding Chair

• 1 White Table Cloth & 2 White Napkins

  • These are self explanatory. My suggestion is to bring a cotton square table cloth and disposable napkins. The less you have to bring home and wash the better - you'd be surprised how quickly the little things get annoying after a 2-5 glasses of wine. However, if you are extremely concerned about a perfect table presentation, you'll want to do cloth napkins as they do present a more elegant tablescape - otherwise no one will notice or care.

    • White Table Cloth

    • White Cloth Napkins

• 1 Rolling Cooler or Foldable Dollie and Bungee Cords 

  • This helps you to carry everything around easily. I can't tell you how many people we saw literally carrying chairs and tables and bottles of wine in their hands in heels! It looked miserable. We brought a medium sized folding dollie to stack everything on and secured it all with bungee cords and it worked like a charm. The only thing I carried was a vase of flowers and everything else was easily rolled by Colin. Many people also had rolling coolers or EasyGo Utility Wagons - all of which worked well. Whatever you decide to do, it has to fit underneath your table, so it needs to be compact - this isn't a tailgate party! 

    • Igloo Rolling Cooler

    • Magna Folding Cart/Dollie (this is the exact model we have)

    • Mac Folding Utility Wagon

    • Bungee Cords

• 1 Picnic Basket or Container or Cooler to Carry Food & Extras

  • You'll need to put all of your items somewhere easy to carry around and DIB highly recommends a picnic basket. In my personal opinion, that's a terrible idea and super impractical other than the fact that it looks nice for the few moments you have it out.  If you don't bring a rolling cooler, I'd highly suggest a backpack/bag cooler AND a medium sized plastic bin. We were able to put all of our cold food items in the small cooler and everything else, including extra shoes, camera, etc. in the bin. 

    • Insulated Collapsible Cooler

    • eBags Crew Cooler (on my list for next year, straps perfectly to the handle of a dollie or cooler!)

• Dinnerware: 2 Plates, 2 Wine Glasses, 2 Water Glasses, 2 Forks, 2 Knives & 2 Spoons (All in White, Glass or Silver)

  • The plates and wine glasses were all breakable and the silverware was all stainless from our kitchen. While it was very pretty, I absolutely wish we had brought disposable dishes so that we didn't have to lug it all home dirty and sticky or be concerned with things breaking.  Honestly, no one will notice if you don't have beautiful China out, there's way too much going on to care and it won't take away from the experience. If you are opposed to disposable dinnerware, be sure to bring extra paper towels and an additional bag to put all of the dirty dishes in as it gets a bit messy. I wrapped all of my glassware in the tablecloth and extra cotton napkins so that they were safe, but I watched at least 3 people drop their stuff in front of me and break numerous glasses. 

• Necessary Extras

  • Candles for the table & a lighter or matches - battery operated or candles with large glass coverings to protect the flame are best. We brought long tapered candles and candlesticks and the wind blew them out the second we tried to light them and it was a calm night. 

  • A Bottle Opener (we just brought a twist top wine bottle to make it even easier)

  • 2 Trash Bags - 1 for all of the trash to go in and 1 to put all of your dirty dishes in.

  • 1 Sharp Knife (if needed for your food)

  • Paper Towels for clean up

  • Wet Wipes to clean your hands following dinner

  • Print Out of Your Confirmation Letter

  • Photo ID (yes, they check to ensure you are who you say you are)

 

Decorations

• There were plenty of people who went all out on their table decorations. I brought what I could to make it nice, but it was nowhere close to some of the elaborate designs of others. It's really up to you how far you go with this, but honestly I feel like if you aren't going to go all out crazy, save yourself the stress, cost and energy and keep it simple.  

• Since the dinner is in the late afternoon into the evening, there were a lot of tables with lighting decorations like strings of battery powered white lights, glow sticks and table lanterns. That's where I'm putting my energy next year as it was fun and functional. 

  • LED Starry Lights/Battery Operated

  • LED Crystal Ball Solar Light Strings

  • LED Candles 

 

Food strategy

The food you bring is another vital piece in this big white puzzle, but with proper planning can be much less stressful. My husband and I decided to stick to our normal Paleo diet so made everything ourselves, but I think I'll probably order take-out next year. The food is all going to end up cold no matter what you do, so you'll need to plan for that - which also means you don't want to go all out on a steak dinner when it's going to be cold once you finally eat it. Whatever you bring, be sure it's prepped and ready for plating. We packed each course in a separate tupperware dish and that worked out nicely; however, we brought a few cheeses wedges and we should have pre cut that as well so that they were ready to go.  In the end, try not to have to do too much other than put the food on the plate and eat it especially since there's not much room on your table for prepping. This cuts down on the amount of dishes you have to bring, time and cleanup.  

List of What You Can Expect to Bring

• Water/Soda/Juice

• Wine (most people brought at least 1 bottle per person)

• First Course (soup, salad, small appetizers, sushi rolls)

• Main Course

• Dessert or Cheese Platter

• Bread (optional)

 

What to wear for men and women

This is not an extensive list, just a few tips to relieve confusion and anxiety. In general, everything should be in white, but I wouldn't stress about the shade of white. While instructions explicitly say that it needs to be white-white, I saw plenty of people in off whites and no one was sent away or publically shamed for it; however, I wouldn't push your luck with creams or nudes - that will definitely stand out. Shoes with light cork souls or colored trim also didn't seem to create alarm; just do your best to reduce any color as it adds to the elegance of the party. This is definitely a semi formal/formal event (I even saw women in wedding dresses and men in 3 piece suits/tuxedos), so don't be worried about being overdressed.  

Men:

• White Shirt (collared/button up recommended)

• White Pants/Slacks (absolutely NO shorts!)

• White Tie or Bowtie

• White Dress Shoes (no sport or running shoes)

• White Belt or Suspenders (if necessary)

• White Jacket (optional)

• White Hat (optional)

• White Costume Mask (optional)

Women:

• White Semi Formal/Formal Outfit of any kind

• White Dress Shoes

• White Sandals or Flats (you'll want these to walk to the location as well as for dancing. Do not expect to go barefoot as I saw plenty of broken glass all around us from drunken people dropping their wine glasses. You can easily pack extra shoes in your container). 

• White Headpiece (optional)

• White Jewelry (optional)

• White Sweater or Jacket 

• White Costume Mask (optional)

 

The Day of and what to expect

There is a very specific process for the evening which you can read more about here, but let me give you the short version...

1. Guests are assigned to specific locations around the city.  Arrive early and be sure to find your designated table host to check in and get your table number.

2. Everyone will board a bus that will take you to the secret location, loading all of your items for transportation. Don't be late as the bus will leave without you and you will not be provided with directions to the secret location. 

3. All buses with guests converge at one designated location.

4. Guests are led to the spot you will set up your table.

5. There is an official waving of napkins at the time that everyone is invited to sit down and begin eating.

6. At the end of dinner, the dance floor opens. I suggest doing an initial clean up at this point to reduce the amount of work at the end of the night when you are tired and intoxicated.

7. There is a signal to clean up your area and pack up. Times to get on the buses are strict, so don't be long. You are expected to leave the space cleaner than when you arrived so please pick up around you. 

8. The night ends and you are left counting down the days until next year!

Download the Type A Trips Diner en Blanc Packing Checklist PDF

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Hobbiton Evening Dinner Tours - A Night at The Shire | Matamata, New Zealand

FOR MY FULL TRAVEL GUIDE TO NEW ZEALAND'S NORTH ISLAND CLICK HERE

There is the one place in the world where Middle Earth and reality collide and every Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie fan's fantasies come true. In the small country town of Matamata, somewhere in the center of the North Island, you'll find New Zealand's #1 attraction - Hobbiton (you heard me right, it's the most visited tourist destination in the entire country!).  We were lucky enough to book one of the coveted spots for the Hobbiton Evening Dinner Tour, which started just last year. I'm bringing you an inside look at what you can expect from the Hobbiton Movie Set Day Tour and the Evening Dinner Tour so you can plan your next visit to this mystical world.  I'm not going to give many details away so you can experience the enchantment for yourself, I'll just provide you with the necessities to plan your visit. 

Full disclosure - I've personally never actually been able to get through the first Lord of the Rings movie despite several valiant attempts by my husband who is one of those super fans who has read all of the books, watched all of the movies and at times truly believes he has a higher Hobbit calling. I was just as excited to go there as any other stop on our New Zealand road trip, but not necessarily counting down the days with gitty excitement (like a certain man I know who will remain nameless - *cough Colin* - excuse me). With that said, it was truly one of the most memorable and impressive man made experiences I've ever been to and I recommend that everyone visiting New Zealand should go at least once, fan of the movies or not.

Getting Tickets

You need to purchase tickets online at http://www.hobbitontours.com . There are 2 pickup options - The Matamata i-SITE, which is in the center of town in Matamata or the Shire's Rest Cafe, the main pickup point located just outside the Hobbiton gates and a 15 minute beautiful backroad drive from Matamata. If you have a car, I'd definitely suggest choosing the Shire's Rest Cafe as there is ample parking and you can take your time exploring the shop, opposed to having your time dictated by the bus back to town.  

Movie Set Tours depart daily, rain or shine, every 30 minutes starting around 9:30am to 3:30 or 4:30pm. There are plenty of available spots; however, you'll want to get tickets in advance since tours do fill up and can sell out.

Evening Dinner Tour tickets on the other hand should be purchased at least a few months in advance to guarantee entrance. For example - there are already several December dates that are sold out and that's three months away.  This private dinner is reserved for less than 50 guests and at this point it is only available Sunday and Wednesday evenings, with Tuesdays beginning January 2016. If you have the time in your trip, absolutely book the dinner tour - it's well worth it and a completely different experience than just the day tour; well worth the money too! 

Ticket Costs in NZ Dollars through March 2016: 

The Hobbiton Movie Set Tour Only: Adults $75; Kids $10-37.50

Evening Dinner Tour (includes Movie Set Tour): Adults $190: Kids $100-150

Planning Your Visit - To Stay or Not to Stay in Matamata

So Matamata is a pretty random town with no other major tourist sites to explore in the near vicinity; however, it is decently central depending on your plans.  We decided to stay in Matamata for 2 nights because we visited the Waitomo Caves in the morning (just over an hour drive each way from Matamata) and did the Hobbiton Evening Dinner that night, which makes for a busy day but is definitely doable if you have a car. The dinner ends sometime between 8-9pm, so it's also nice not to have to drive long distances on a very full stomach; another reason we decided to stay in town.  Otherwise, if you are just going for a day tour, I'd recommend staying in Tauranga or Rotorua and just doing the drive there and back in the same day (1-2 hours each way depending on where you are coming from). 

This is not a destination with many high end options; however, we found The Eldonwood Bed and Breakfast, a quaint luxury B&B that suited all of our needs for a short stay.  This very new accommodation option run by Willie and Faye is comfortable, clean, safe, central, extremely welcoming and an incredible price. My husband and I booked their private suite above the garage, which has a private entrance, a mini kitchenette, bathroom with heated floors, extremely comfortable queen sized bed, cable television and wifi and in the morning, they cook and serve you a hot breakfast in their home. Willie and Faye are a lovely couple, helping us plan our trip by answering questions and offering suggestions along the way. We would absolutely stay there again if we were in the area. 

 

The Hobbiton movie set tour

The Hobbiton Movie Set Tour is a guided tour of The Shire and is also included in the Evening Dinner Tour price. Unlike other attractions, this is not one you show up to at any time and explore on your own. You are bussed in and out on large charter buses and remain with your group during the 2 hour tour, with freedom to take pictures and wander along the way.

Unlike Disneyland where fantasy worlds are simply visual facades, Hobbiton feels real; from the growing vegetable garden to the miniature line hanging laundry, I wouldn't have been surprised for a moment if a Hobbit walked right out of one of the holes and said hello.  The guides provide a balanced mixture of movie trivia and mood setting creativity, without being cheesy. I personally loved the genuine excitement and passion the staff all seemed to have for jobs, making it that much more enjoyable. 

We were there as the sun was setting and after it had been a very rainy day, but it didn't take away from our experience at all. We dressed warm and came prepared with layers.  So don't panic if you look at your weather app and see rain - I promise you'll still love it! 

All guests end the tour at The Green Dragon "pub", where you receive one free drink, alcoholic or non alcoholic, and you have the option of purchasing other food items.  It's the perfect spot to relax and reflect on your Middle Earth adventure.

Tips: 

• Ensure that you arrive at the pick-up site at least 15 minutes early so you don't miss the bus!
• They provide an ample amount of large umbrellas to use for free, so there is no need to bring your own.  
• The walk around Hobbiton is definitely muddy, so wear proper shoes. 
• Definitely bring your camera; there are no restrictions on photos or videos and the guides are super helpful when it comes to taking your photo so you don't leave with only selfies.
• If you are doing the evening tour you'll have plenty of daylight for photos, but I'd suggest bringing a tripod for some cool night shots for the walk back at the end of the evening, but only if you know what you're doing otherwise you'll just end up with blurry bright splotches. 

Fun Facts: Hobbiton is an actual working farm with thousands of sheep around the property. It was never intended to be a tourist attraction and was actually being torn down, until the movie came out in theaters and locals started showing up at their door, demanding to see the secret set that they recognized in the film! The family decided to partner with Director, Peter Jackson, to open the site to the public. 

Evening Dinner Tour

So if you book the Hobbiton Evening Dinner Tour, you end up at The Green Dragon like everyone else with a free drink and relaxation by the fire - but then there's more! Not only have you walked through The Shire during dusk, the best time to catch the sky when it's gorgeously adorned in pink and orange hues, you are the last people left on the property. That's right, all the other suckers have boarded their buses and you and 50 other lucky visitors get the place to yourselves. 

After about 30 minutes, curtains part to reveal an expansive dining room set with two long family style dinner tables overflowing with a feast fit for a Hobbit. If you remember the scene in Hook when Robin Williams and the Lost Boys sit down to a banquet dinner - it feels just like that! Now, I've been to Medieval Times and I'm telling you, that's like comparing McDonalds and Five Star Dining, they are a million miles apart.  Perfectly cooked, rustic dishes are waiting for you to devour as you sit next to new friends. This delicious bounty is more than enough to feed a college football team, so you're definitely not leaving hungry. 

When you think it's over and your stretchy pants are expanded to their maximum output size, here comes dessert in all of its glory. Everything from pudding, cakes and tarts to fresh grilled pears stare you down until suddenly you have an entire plate of goodies in front of you and you don't know how it happened. Trust me, it's worth the calories. 

You'd think at the end of the meal, they'd quickly shuffle you back to the buses to get you out of there as quickly as possible - no way, not in Hobbiton. Everyone is handed a night lantern to light your path and for the next 30+ minutes, you get to experience The Shire like few others do. With even more stops and important tidbits of movie information, the enchantment of this sensational journey continues to awe and inspire. Ending the tour with a silly Hobbit dance, you are loaded onto the bus and dropped off back at reality where real life will never be as magical as what you just uncovered. A world beyond a world - The Hobbiton Evening Dinner Tour is one you just can't afford to miss! 

Dinner Tour Tips 

• Wear comfortable clothes, you are guaranteed to be extremely stuffed.
• Check out the details in the bathroom, there wasn't a corner of this place that wasn't touched with a Hobbit wand!
• Again, bring a tripod for night shots if you've got those skills.
• The walk back can get cold since the sun has gone down, even on a warm day, so layer up. 
• Ask lots of questions. Dinner is a great time to talk to your guide and get all of the behind the scenes dirt that wasn't presented during the tour. 

FOR EVEN MORE INFO, REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT MY FULL GUIDE TO

NEW ZEALAND'S NORTH ISLAND HERE

North Island, New Zealand