5 Highly Unusual Restaurant Experiences You Won’t Forget
There are all kinds of strange eateries out there, ranging from opera-themed bistros to cafes swarming with cats, as well as diners built inside of the fuselages of old airplanes. While we understand that some people just want a simple, peaceful meal when they head out, others like a little something extra special.
The next time you find yourself in Italy, the Maldives or perhaps Japan, rather than settling for the same old local fare, why not try a meal in an underwater restaurant or an active prison instead? Here’s a list of five bizarre global restaurants that just might make you scratch your head and wonder, Who on Earth could have thought of something as strange as that?
1. Maldives Underwater Restaurant
If you want to dine underwater, you don’t have to look any further than the Hilton Hotel in Rangalifinolhu, Maldives—although the middle of the Indian Ocean is pretty far to look for most of us. The hotel’s small restaurant (see above) is five meters below the water. The structure is sheathed in a see-through acrylic covering, which allows you to watch all of the colorful aquatic creatures swim by while you’re enjoying your lunch or supper.
2. Roller Coaster Restaurant
Who wouldn’t want their meals delivered to them by a mini roller coaster? You can experience just that at the roller coaster restaurant in Nuremburg, Germany, called ‘S Baggers. You order your food on a touchscreen, and once it's been prepared, it will be delivered to you via twisting metal tracks suspended over your head and reaching down to your table. Could this be the future of self-service dining? Regardless, it’s a very entertaining way to order from a menu.
The Fortezza Medicea Prison Restaurant in Italy is not a prison-themed restaurant; it’s a real-life prison open to the public for fancy meals. If you choose to dine here, you’ll be served food prepared by criminals and brought to your table by hardened felons, many of whom are serving life sentences. You’ll be treated to great Italian meals dished out by actual killers, all working under the watchful eyes of armed guards.
4. Dubai’s Ice Restaurant and Bar
Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates, isn’t famous for its cold weather. But that can all change if you happen upon Dubai’s Ice Restaurant and Bar. Almost all of the furniture and decor are carved out of ice. You’ll have to wear a thick jacket with a hood if you come here for a drink—which you can sip out of ice cups—or grab a bite to eat. The food, of course, will be served to you on ice plates. This is a great place to get away from Dubai’s excessive heat.
5. Dinner in the Sky
For those gastronomes who aren’t afraid of heights, they might want to think about booking a table at Dinner in the Sky. The concept behind this restaurant is quite simple, if adventurous: the staff straps the guests into chairs, and a giant crane hoists them and their rectangular table up into the sky. The waiters and the patrons work and eat, respectively, while the rest of the world rushes by—many, many stories below.