When Radiohead released their album In Rainbows on the internet last year and invited fans to pay whatever they thought it was worth, they could not have foreseen that a small restaurant would turn their idealism into a business model.

On Thursday, the "Anti-Price" menu was unveiled at the Penn Central restaurant near Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset, and 30 customers were asked to pay what they considered to be a fair price.

Sadly, despite unlimited refills of tap water - with a complimentary slice of lemon - alcoholic drinks were not included. "If the drinks were part of the deal," said the owner, Mick Callaghan, "I'd be in here every night myself."

The menu, which will become a Wednesday and Thursday night fixture, is intended to boost midweek trade and shake up the local restaurant scene. A similar scheme at the north London restaurant Just Around the Corner a couple of years ago proved a success because, as Callaghan argues, the customer can be righteous as well as right. "I believe that the majority of people are fair if you give them good food, a good time in a nice place."

The majority of his smart twenty- and thirty-something clientele appeared to agree. Leia Valenari, a 31-year-old advertising worker who lives locally, was smitten with the concept. "It's so ingenious," she said. "I couldn't imagine anyone coming in and saying, 'Oh, I'm only paying a pound'. And if they do, then it's just going to be one or two."

Jessica Young and Chris Clifford had opted to pay around £4 each for their starters of mushroom bruschetta and gravadlax, and about £10 for their mains of fish and steak.

Young, 25, a recruitment consultant, said: "When you come into a restaurant, the service or surroundings are taken for granted, whereas this evening we had a good chat about what we were paying for and the quality of service."

Her companion agreed. "When I go to a restaurant normally, I just sit down, eat the food and pay the bill," said Clifford, a 24-year-old decorator.

The only hint of mischief emanated from the table where Dan Hicks, a local builder, was dining with Jay Jones, an art teacher. Were they tempted to take full advantage of the offer? "I haven't decided yet," said Hicks with a smile.

In the kitchen, head chef Jamie Carpenter was philosophical. "It'll be interesting seeing what people think the food is actually worth to them," he said. "So it could be a bit of pressure on me but hopefully it'll be fine - it usually is."

The next morning, Callaghan's gamble appeared to have paid off. He said the money had been fine and the feedback overwhelmingly positive. "People were quite on the ball on the prices and were within a couple of quid of the normal prices."

He was, however, a little more candid as to the identity of his new-found business gurus. "It was inspired by Radiohead. But also, to be fair, I did hear that Cliff Richard did the same thing as well. But [Radiohead's] a bit cooler isn't it?"