January is traditionally the most unpopular month for dining out - but that may all change now a restaurant in Edinburgh is letting customers pay whatever they want for their meals.

Throughout this month, customers can sample dishes from Restaurant Mark Greenaway's award-winning menu for whatever they think they are worth. A 'suggested price' guide will be on hand, but what people actually pay is up to them.

The eaterie hopes that its unusual invitation will combat the post-Christmas slump and attract a host of new customers, as well as “prove that fine-dining doesn’t have to be expensive."

The concept is nothing new in Europe. Honesty bars, where drinkers help themselves to popular beverages and leave money in a box, usually operate in high-end hotels and have been a success for years.

Despite the potential pitfalls of a pay-what-you-want method, it’s heartwarming to think that a system that relies on people’s conscience can actually work. But is the UK ready for it?

Will Restaurant Mark Greenaway's initiative attract a new audience to its food on a longterm basis, or lose money by serving expensive meals to people who have no intention of paying anywhere near what its worth?

Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Words: Anna Pollitt

‘Honesty restaurant’ opens in UK