An incredible meal is an experience in itself, but some restaurants go above and beyond to bring something extra to the table. These are places where the setting is as important as the food, from themed restaurants and dining rooms that host immersive theatrical performances to eateries dramatically perched on rocky outcrops or tucked in caves. Here are some of the world's most unique dining experiences. It's best to check the latest travel advice and individual restaurant websites before planning a visit.
A three-hour immersive dining experience awaits you in Sublimotion, inside Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza. Michelin-starred chefs, award-winning directors and musicians take guests on a journey through different times, places and emotions with VR headsets completing this imaginative concept. The 20-course tasting menu features Spanish avant-garde dishes and is accompanied by wine and Champagne. The prices are as mind-bending as the experience. In fact, at around £1,800 ($2,345) per head, it's one of the world's most expensive restaurants.
Diners are immersed in a Polynesian theme at the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar. Located in San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel, this tiki-style lounge and restaurant features tropical plants and a huge central lagoon. Menu highlights include grilled miso salmon, Tonga grilled rib-eye and coconut curry seafood. A non-food-related highlight has to be the boat stage that hosts live music.
Nestled beneath an ancient limestone cliff on the edge of Phranang Beach, The Grotto makes for picture-perfect views with the sand beneath your feet. This atmospheric setting is part of the Rayavadee Hotel in Krabi and guests choose from international cuisine like grilled Australian Wagyu beef, Sicilian-style lobster and Hokkaido scallops, all served with exquisite presentation.
As if Italy's Puglia region wasn't picturesque enough, Grotta Palazzese effortlessly adds to it. Set in a natural cave and spilling out onto a wooden terrace, this smart restaurant looks out towards the Adriatic Sea. It offers two tasting menus: Essenza includes foie gras, monkfish and chocolate mousse while Istinto offers scallops, sea bass and 'machamisu' (tiramisu with matcha). Other dishes include pasta, rice and lobster dishes, with a great wine list to boot.
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This tongue-in-cheek spot actually encourages you to complain. The servers at Karen’s Diner will be exceptionally rude to you but they certainly expect it back in return. This American retro-themed diner serves hilariously-named dishes like the ‘I want to see the manager’ double Wagyu burger and 'Karen’s chicken bingo wings’. Expect singing staff, a no-nonsense manager and blunt service. Let it all out, then calm yourself down by slurping on a thick milkshake or fruity cocktail. Don’t like it? You tell 'em.
Ithaa Restaurant is the world’s first undersea restaurant, so you'll probably want to bring your camera if you're lucky enough to dine here. Tables are 16 feet (5m) beneath the ocean surface with views through the glass of coral gardens, reef sharks and other marine life. Part of the Conrad Hotel, the restaurant combines local flavours and Western influences to create a fusion-style menu. Decadent lunch options include miso and truffle-marinated black cod and confit butternut squash ravioli, while at dinner, choose from dishes like seared quail breast and smoked mozzarella with pickled watermelon.
Dinner in the Sky is an increasingly popular concept found in cities across the world, from London to Dubai. In Brussels, strapped-in diners are suspended 164 feet (50m) in the air over the Ordingen Castle. Guests tuck into shrimp croquettes, caviar and madeleines while marvelling at the views around them and beneath their dangling feet. A glass of Champagne or wine, or perhaps a strong coffee, should help calm any nerves.
When one of your senses is limited, others are heightened – that's the concept behind O.Noir, where guests dine in complete darkness and are served by blind and visually impaired waiting staff. As a result, you can solely focus on the flavours and textures of dishes such as sea bass risotto or ravioli with wild mushrooms. Want to add to the mystery? Opt for the surprise starter and main. There's also an O.Noir outpost in Toronto.
Tuck into a Filipino buffet at Labasin Waterfalls Restaurant. While the waterfall itself isn’t natural (it's fed by the Labasin Dam), it serves as a picturesque backdrop with the waves lapping at your feet. This is a one-of-a-kind dining experience that allows you to get hands-on with Filipino cuisine, quite literally. Guests are encouraged to eat kamayan-style, which means with hands instead of cutlery.
Enter a very wintry wonderland at this restaurant in Lapland Hotels SnowVillage. The resort's Ice Restaurant serves a three-course meal in an all-white dining room, carved from ice and snow. The menu uses local ingredients in dishes like reindeer carpaccio, fried Arctic char in brown butter and chocolate fondant with lingonberry ice cream. You’ll want to wrap up warm for this chilly dining experience – or book a table at the resort's Log Restaurant for the same menu in rather warmer conditions.
It’s not just the historic tram-turned-restaurant that’s unique but your surroundings too. The Christchurch Tramway Restaurant trundles around the city allowing you to simultaneously dine and see the sights. Seasonal menus draw from New Zealand's abundant local produce and include dishes like poached prawns, venison rump and grilled vegetable stacks, alongside desserts and local cheeses. There's also a great selection of regional wines.
Go deep-sea dining at Sip ‘n Dip Lounge in Montana. Dancing mermaids and mermen swim past huge glass windows in an adjacent pool at this kitsch, tiki-themed restaurant and bar. Choose from burgers, prime rib sandwiches, freshly made soups and chicken fried steaks, and perhaps make a night of it with one of the creative fishbowl cocktails.
For forward-thinking dining, head to Good Bank in Berlin. The food is grown and harvested right next to you at this farm-to-table restaurant with a difference: this is a vertical farm, with salad and vegetables grown in stacked layers behind glass. It isn't just for show. Growing fresh food on site removes the need for packaging and transport. Feast on quinoa, noodle and poke bowls and comfort food dishes like mac 'n' cheese at either of its two Berlin branches.
When it comes to escapism, London’s Circus restaurant certainly delivers. A cabaret-filled show awaits with aerial acrobats, contortionists, fire breathers, hula hoopers, burlesque performers and drag acts. It all plays out around you as brunch or dinner is served, with options for sharing and set menus. The focus is on pan-Asian cuisine with dishes like lychee and aubergine green curry and ginger and lemon sea bass. There's also a range of signature cocktails and mocktails.
Japan isn’t short of unique dining experiences but Alice in Fantasy Book truly takes guests down the rabbit hole. The menu includes Singing Alice’s Caesar Salad and Uncle Caterpillar Sleeping on a Mushroom (that’s stewed beef and fresh mushrooms to you and me). Guests dine at long tables on chequered floors with scenes from the book decorating the walls. The ‘drink me’ element is covered too with a range of whimsical cocktails.
Sarniç Restaurant is set in an ancient cistern but it's much more pleasant than that suggests. For a start, we're talking about an underground reservoir rather than the box on the back of your toilet. In this case it's a 1,500-year-old Byzantine cistern that's been transformed into a luxury restaurant evoking the atmosphere of ancient Rome. The cistern once supplied water to the Great Palace but today things are a little different, with guests feasting on traditional Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisine while a DJ spins tunes.
El Diablo makes the most of its natural setting atop a volcano to provide succulent barbecued meals. A giant grill is laid on a chimney over the mouth of the volcano, where lava bubbles at 400°C (752°F) just six feet (1.8m) below. Located in Timanfaya National Park, the dining room – encircled by glass – also offers sweeping views of the ethereal red sand landscapes. Tuck into volcano-grilled chicken, sausages and more.
Savour the flavours and surroundings of the Northern Cape at Restaurant Klein JAN. Diners walk through the century-old Boscia House filled with antiques and are led to a more contemporary setting, with the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve serving as a dreamy backdrop. Visitors can join for lunch whereas guests at the camp will dine here for dinner. The seven-course seasonal menu focuses on heritage food and flavours of this part of South Africa, including pistachios, dried fruits and springbok loin with beans.
Connect with ancient Mayan civilisation at immersive restaurant HAAB, part of Banyan Tree Mayakoba. This evening-only meal begins with Mayan warriors leading you to a circular table surrounded by trees and mangroves. The menu changes but includes dishes like chaya (known as Mayan spinach) and pumpkin seed empanadas, lime soup, slow-cooked short rib and ice cream infused with Xtabentún, an anise liqueur from this part of Mexico, on the Yucatán Peninsula. The whole experience is topped off with fascinating storytelling and captivating dances.
Set in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park amid the Australian outback, Sounds of Silence is a dining experience like no other: tables are set beneath the starry desert skies, with views of Uluru (Ayers Rock). The evening – organised by Ayers Rock Resort – begins with canapés and a didgeridoo performance, followed by a three-course meal. Dishes are freshly prepared at the interactive chef station using indigenous bush ingredients. Adding to the magic, a resident star talker reveals secrets of the southern night sky.
As you enjoy an alfresco breakfast or afternoon tea at Giraffe Manor, you may be joined by one or two rubber-necking neighbours who regularly poke their heads through the large windows. Not to worry, though – these nosy giraffes are the hotel's USP and you can even feed pellets to the charming, lofty creatures. The much-loved animals have roamed the lawns here since the 1970s and one even inspired the name for Daisy’s Café, which is also part of the hotel complex.
Michelin-starred Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet uses multi-sensory technology to evoke a series of emotions in diners and enhance the taste of the food. The simple-looking room consists of one table that seats 10 people, so guests can focus on the dishes accompanied by lights, sounds and scents. The restaurant is pretty hush-hush about the 20-course menu but expect ingredients like noodles, fish and meat served in imaginative ways.
The Lord of the Rings fans will love the evening banquet at the Hobbiton Movie Set, where scenes from Peter Jackson's movies were filmed. It starts with a tour through some of the 12-acre The Shire site before guests retire to The Green Dragon Inn for a hearty, suitably hobbit-friendly meal. Dishes include slow-cooked lamb shanks, salmon fillets and roasted pumpkins, all served with sweet potato mash and garlic and thyme roasted potatoes. For dessert there's Bakewell tarts and apple crumble. A lantern-lit walk completes the experience.
Every day is Halloween at Witches in Britches. This musical theatre restaurant puts its own spin on well-known films, with past shows including My Big Fat Witch Wedding and Crazy Rich Witches. Guests can really get into the spirit of things by dressing up in costume if they wish. Seated in a dark room with pockets of light, diners tuck into the likes of pumpkin soup, house-made gnocchi and chocolate mousse while the show plays out.
There's no need to venture far to view the aurora borealis when you stay at the Northern Lights Inn. The hotel's Max’s Restaurant offers a front-row seat (and table) right here. This is where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served, all with an Icelandic fusion focus. Stay for dinner between September and early April to be in with the best chance of catching the majestic swirls of the Northern Lights. The experience is enhanced by the incredible food, including a rich seafood soup, pan-fried cod and grilled lamb.
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament experiences can be found across the US but this particular one is found in Toronto, Canada. The family-friendly night, in a castle setting, starts with the king, queen and squires taking to the stage before the true spectacle begins. A jousting tournament commences with hand-to-hand combat, falcons soaring through the air and knights riding elegant Andalusian horses. On the menu are dishes like garlic bread, tomato bisque soup and roasted chicken with buttered corn and herb-basted potato. It's a feast designed to be eaten without cutlery, in keeping with the period.
Set in the stunning Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, Sonara Camp’s sunset and dinner experience makes for a truly memorable evening. Seasonal Mediterranean-inspired menus offer dishes like jumbo shrimps and black truffle and mushroom risotto, or you can book the three-course sharing menu. With live music, camel rides and a fire show included, it’s worth booking an overnight stay to make the most of it – and you'll get to enjoy a sunrise breakfast too.
Step into the cartoon world of Greem Café in Seoul. Everything here is designed to look like two-dimensional drawings come to life, as if you've stepped into a sketch or perhaps a pop-up book. Pastries, cakes and sauce-covered sandwiches are served alongside creative coffees. The café, whose name comes from a Korean word meaning cartoon or painting, has fireplaces, piano fortes and, perhaps most importantly, tables and chairs you can actually sit down on, despite appearances.
Airplane, history and food fans alike will love El Avión Restaurant in Costa Rica's capital. This C-123 Fairchild cargo plane was built for use during the Cold War but today it has been converted into a bar and restaurant where you can even venture into the cockpit. The bar is situated inside the plane and guests walk through to the restaurant, perched around 500 feet (152m) above the beach. It's the perfect spot to watch the setting sun while tucking into a seafood-focused menu of coconut shrimp, yellowfin tuna steaks, fried calamari and more.
The food is as fresh as the setting at The Rock Restaurant. Guests feast on stewed rock lobster, grilled catch of the day and house-made tagliatelle in this floating eatery. You can reach the restaurant from Pingwe beach, either by foot at low tide or complimentary boat at high tide. Enjoy panoramic views of the Indian Ocean by day and sit beneath the twinkling stars by night while tucking into local and Italian-inspired cuisine.