Eating out in a quality restaurant remains one of life’s great pleasures. The fact that we all love to do this in different ways means that there is a huge variety of restaurants around the planet for all sorts of tastes.
If you want to experience the world through your stomach, then there are plenty of remarkable and unusual restaurants to choose from. The following are some of the world’s most eye-catching places to eat while living out something completely different at the same time.
A-380, Taipei – Airplane Food with a Twist
There are some very good reasons why airplane food is so poorly thought of. At 40,000 in the air and with cabin pressure of up to 8,000 feet above sea level, it is a very difficult place to prepare and enjoy memorable meals.
Yet, the A-380 restaurant offers diners the chance to enjoy an in-flight culinary experience without leaving the ground. This restaurant in Taiwan is designed to look exactly like the inside of a plane, with the waitresses dressed up as flight attendants.
The restaurant is in a fairly nondescript part of central Taipei. However, the fun begins once you get handed a boarding pass. The food is typically served in plastic trays but has had decent reviews, including from Traveller.com.au. T$7 million (around $230,000) was spent on decorating this place.
Picasso, Las Vegas – Great Food, Art, and Gambling
The world-famous Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas is one of the most spectacular places in the world to find entertainment. As well as shows, magical fountains, and casino games, it also has an amazing selection of top-class restaurants.
Among them, the classy, two-Michelin-starred Picasso is perhaps the best. Here, the menu is exquisite and the dining experience is enhanced by the magnificent collection of Picasso art on the walls. The owner is legendary businessman and art collector Steve Wynn.
Among his most famous art purchases was the record $33.2 million he spent on a Rembrandt from Christie’s in 2009. According to Betway Casino, Wynn once put an elbow through a $75 million Picasso painting here, but it hasn’t stopped him putting lots of expensive art on show.
Nocti Vagus, Berlin – Dark Dining
The dark dining craze has seen darkened, intimate restaurants pop up all over the world since the end of the 20th century. The idea is that your other senses are heightened because you can’t see your food in front of you.
One of the most interesting restaurants of this type is the Nocti Vagus eatery in Berlin, Germany. As well as meals served in total darkness, this place also hosts events such as jazz shows, health seminars, and comedy.
The most intrepid diners can opt for the surprise menu if they are brave enough. It has been running for over 10 years and Nocti Vagus is so good it has gained awards from the likes of the German Vegetarian Society, DAC, and Marcello’s in that time.
Dinner in the Sky, Vancouver – High Altitude Dining
Another fascinating dining trends to emerge in recent times is that of eating at high altitude. This is a craze that appears to have started in Belgium in 2006, before moving to other countries. The top options for eating in this way include Dinner in the Sky, based in Vancouver, Canada.
The idea is simple, as guests are strapped into their chairs at the dining table and then lifted some 100 to 160 feet into the air by a giant crane. Diners get a spectacular view of the city far below them while they enjoy their meals.
Dinner in the Sky has revealed that celebrity chef Ned Bell is set to provide a three-course meal for upcoming events at the time of writing. This type of dining is also typically used as a way of celebrating special events such as weddings, birthday or corporate meetings. It could even be perfect for a special honeymoon meal.
Disaster Café, Lloret de Mar – Eat During an Earthquake
One of the most unusual ways to eat a meal is during a simulated earthquake. This restaurant in Lloret de Mar, on Spain’s Costa Brava coast, offers a unique way to feel the earth move while you are enjoying your food.
The earthquakes here measure 7.8 on the Richter scale, which is strong enough to cause major disasters such as the 2016 quake in Ecuador. Yet, the idea here is that you enjoy the food while the lights go out and people start screaming, with no need for travel insurance to be in place.
The popularity of the Disaster Café can be seen in the fact that reviews state that reservations need to be made in advance. The food is generally described as fairly standard, but there is no doubt that the chance to dine while the earth shakes is an intriguing possibility. This a family attraction, designed to keep everyone in your group happy.
This trend for interesting, themed and extreme restaurants appears certain to carry on growing. As diners look for unusual and memorable dining experiences, there are sure to be more and more ways like this of living out something incredible while eating.
