It promises to be the most exclusive dining experience in Britain – a gourmet restaurant is being built at High Down prison.

Captive audiences will soon undergo background checks and body searches before being served haute cuisine at the £300,000 venue, named the Clink.

A maitre d’, possibly a convicted burglar or drug dealer, will escort 80 paying customers past barred doors and a baby grand piano to eight glass-topped tables.

Instead of doing porridge, or serving thyme, trained inmates plan to prepare roasted turbot panella or pan-fried guinea fowl breast.

While other upmarket eateries fight to retain their best staff, the first British restaurant behind bars must constantly keep guard against fleeing workers.

Interior design work is continuing but Al Crisci, catering manager at the category-B jail, said the diner may rehabilitate inmates and give visitors a real taste of prison.

Mr Crisci, a former chef at Mirabelle in Mayfair, said: “The Clink will change the public’s perception of prisoners.

“I want the Clink to be the sound of chains being broken for men who want, and deserve, a second chance at life.”

Peter Dawson, governor of High Down, added: “I know that an army marches on its stomach, so giving them the chance to eat and socialise in the best staff restaurant in the prison service will make a great difference to the 500-plus people who carry out the unsung public duty of running High Down.

“Every time a chef or waiter at the Clink serves a meal, they will play their part in dispelling the prejudice and ignorance that gets in the way of successful resettlement.”

The non-profit restaurant, which can assemble 1,000 meals a days, forms part of a multimillion pound expansion of prison facilities.

Inmates need security clearance and a clean bill of health to work towards NVQ qualifications in the kitchens. Their use of carving knives is also monitored closely.

Initial guests lining up to be locked inside the Clink include families of prisoners, potential employers and policy-makers.

If the gluttons for punishment find London restaurant prices criminal, they may be surprised that four-course prison meals could cost as little as £15-a-head. And, if unimpressed, they may be reluctant to criticise the staff.