Organisers of a restaurant selling dinners requested by death row prisoners have vowed to plough ahead, despite calls for the “appallingly bad taste” pop-up to shut before it even opened.

Hackney Gazette: The website says: "For a short time only in beautiful Hoxton you can enjoy the idea of the last meal, without the nasty execution bit" (Picture: Death Row Dinners)The website says: "For a short time only in beautiful Hoxton you can enjoy the idea of the last meal, without the nasty execution bit" (Picture: Death Row Dinners) (Image: Archant)

Death Row Dinners came under fire the concept which will charge clients £50 for ‘a five course “feast” of some of death row’s “most interesting and popular last dinners” when it opens next month in Hoxton Square.

The event was being promoted with black and white mugshots of men, apparently prisoners, displaying their last meal wishes on menus draped around their necks.

The immersive experience promised “inmates” the chance to “experience a night behind the bars of one of London’s toughest high security restaurants”, warning them to be prepared to be “charged, sentenced, searched and frisked”.

Human rights group, Amnesty International, has branded the death penalty as the “ultimate denial of human rights”, and “the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state, a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment done in the name of justice”.

Hackney Gazette: Each night 80 'inmates' will get a five course meal (Picture: Death Row Dinners)Each night 80 'inmates' will get a five course meal (Picture: Death Row Dinners) (Image: Archant)

They work for it to be abolished in countries where it still exists like the US, Iran, Iraq, China and Saudi Arabia,

Niall Couper, spokesman at Amnesty, said he couldn’t think of anything more likely to put you off your food.

“We thought Death Row Dinners had to be a spoof, it’s hard to believe someone would choose that as a theme in real life,” he said.

“The restaurant theme is in appallingly bad taste.”

After an angry barrage of criticism on social media site, the organisers said they were “shocked and saddened” by the response and were “genuinely very sorry” for any offence caused.

They said they were considering their next steps, leading some to believe it could be called off.

But now after “careful reflection” they have decided to go ahead anyway.

In a statement on their website they said they had been expecting some negativity: “The severity of the reaction is not at all surprising in the current world of instant outrage but cancelling the event only supports this short-termism currently infecting the population.

“All over the world there are attractions that have the potential to offend. Some people go on a tour of the White House, others go to Jefferson state penitentiary for tours of the chamber where executions take place.

“If you don’t like it, it’s very simple, just don’t go. Concentrate on what you do like, not what you don’t.

“Death Row Dinners was created to appeal to an audience who would not be offended by the concept.

“It seems there are plenty of people out there who aren’t, because they are buying tickets and sending hundreds of email supporting us.”

Despite the defiant statement, however the restaurant’s website has now been shut down and the twitter account deleted.