Unusual and Unique Restaurants Around The world

Travel, food and scuba diving are some of my greatest passions in life. I try my best to experience all of them as much as possible. I can’t always do them all together, though I try, but I can usually combine travel and food together. I have never been to any of these destinations 9though I have been to Melbourne, Australia many times, and Spain a couple of times), nor have I ever been to any of these restaurants, YET. Yet is the key word. There is still plenty of time. I would love to experience ALL of these exotic and unique places. 

1. Chillout Ice Lounge

WHERE: Dubai

The capital of the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s most extravagant cities, and it’s no wonder someone had the idea to open a restaurant made entirely of ice. The Chillout Ice Lounge comprises 26,900 square feet of ice, and the average temperature there is -21°F.

When you first enter the restaurant, you are offered a warming hot chocolate to help you get used to the cold (it’s sweltering outside), then are handed a jacket, wool gloves, shoes, and socks. After acclimating to the cold in “the buffer zone,” you can enjoy food such as hot soups, chicken skewers, or red velvet cake while taking in the play between light and ice.

2. Supperclub.Tube

WHERE: London, England

Indulging in piping hot meals while riding the London Underground is usually a big no-no unless you happen to be aboard the Supperclub.tube, a decommissioned 1967 Victoria Line tube carriage at Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum. Often repurposed for video and photoshoots, on three nights a week, the carriage undergoes a remarkable transformation into one of London’s trendiest and most exclusive dining destinations.

Since 2018, passionate tube culture and gastronomy enthusiasts have taken their seats on moquette-covered benches while tucking into a sumptuous six-course Latin American menu curated by the talented Colombian head chef, Beatriz Maldonado Carreño. You’ll find several smaller tables dispersed throughout the subway car, but if you feel like making new friends, join the long group table … it is a supper club, after all.

3. Labassin Waterfall Restaurant

WHERE: Villa Escudero, Philippines

Labassin Waterfall Restaurant, just under two hours south of the capital, Manila, by car, is best visited in swimwear. If you have lunch at the extraordinary waterfall restaurant of the Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort, you will almost certainly not stay dry for long. At the foot of a man-made waterfall, you can enjoy your Kamayan-style Filipino buffet of fish, rice, barbecue chicken, and bananas in the fresh air while water splashes around your feet and the sound of the waterfall roars in your ears.

4. SEA

WHERE: Anantara Kihavah, Maldives

Placed on the ocean floor, the hexagonal SEA underwater restaurant on Kihavah Island in the Maldives serves exquisite delicacies like lobster and oysters while guests marvel at the spectacular underwater views. You don’t just eat underwater but also under observation. In front of the glass panes, rays and colorful fish of all sizes sail by, populating the surrounding coral reef.

5. Treepod Dining

WHERE: Soneva Kiri Eco Resort, Thailand

In this bird’s nest, guests sit in small bamboo bowls above the treetops of the Thai rainforest, sampling Asian delicacies while enjoying the view over the Gulf of Thailand. Treepod Dining seats up to four people in a gondola, with the personal ziplining waiter serving all manner of delicacies and wine with acrobatic skill. The house specialty is baked fish wrapped in a banana sheet. Find this unique experience at the luxury resort Soneva Kiri on the island of Koh Kood.

6. Grotta Palazzese

WHERE: Polignano a Mare, Italy

High up and carved into an Italian mountain side is this ristorante, Grotta Palazzese, in the fishing village of Polignano. The terrace, located in a natural limestone cave, was used for banquets for local nobles as early as 1700. From here, you have an unrestricted view of the Adriatic Sea. The menu changes with the seasons, but the dishes are primarily based on food from Puglia and are reinterpreted with a wide variety of flavors and spices. Thus, the menu includes freshly caught fish and seafood in keeping with the surroundings. The cave restaurant is open from May to October.

I vaguely recall Larry and I eating in some place like this is Spain, the first time we went there.

7. The Rock

WHERE: Zanzibar, Tanzania

Visitors couldn’t be closer to the turquoise sea at the Rock Restaurant. The restaurant was built on a rock that extends directly into the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean. The style of the restaurant is reminiscent of the building’s past as a fisherman’s hut, but the furniture is more modern. The menu ranges from lobster to squid to all kinds of exotic fish, and all dishes are complemented with African and Mediterranean flavors. By the way, the restaurant can only be reached on foot at low tide; guests are transported by boat onto the rock at high tide.

8. El Diablo

WHERE: Lanzarote, Spain

One of the biggest attractions on the island of Lanzarote is Timanfaya National Park with Timanfaya Volcano, where you’ll find the fiery El Diablo Restaurant. What makes the restaurant so unique is its cooking method: food is prepared on a grill heated by the geothermal heat of the volcano. Just below the surface, temperatures can reach 752°F degrees. The beautiful restaurant was designed by local architect and environmentalist Cesar Manrique. While you’re waiting for your devilishly good grilled meat, you can take a tour during which the staff will show you the geyser effect, in which some water is poured into the holes that lead underground. If you’re nervous about the forces of nature, rest assured that the volcano has been gurgling peacefully since 1824.

9. Easey’s

WHERE: Melbourne, Australia

Easey’s, located atop a Melbourne building, is an unconventional American burger eatery and bar housed inside graffiti-adorned Hitachi M-Class train cars. A retro soundtrack, graffiti on the walls, and original features enhance the quirky ambiance. Their train schedule-inspired menu showcases a delectable array of options, including gourmet burgers and hot dogs, barbecue wings, milkshake-infused donuts, and incredibly cheesy mac ‘n’ cheese. The best part is that you can hop on board to savor this experience during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Easey’s Restaurant even made it into my big Melbourne cookbook, Flavours of Urban Melbourne, that my niece and nephew gave to me quite a few years ago. 

10. El Avión 

WHERE: Quepos, Costa Rica

If a normal restaurant is too dull for you, then a trip to the jungle of Costa Rica may be worthwhile. Here, about half a mile from the Pacific Ocean, lies an American C-123 Fairchild, a military freighter. The plane has undergone a remarkable transformation, serving as the centerpiece of a multi-level bar and restaurant. El Avión is located at an altitude of 490 feet, so it offers unrivaled panoramic vistas of Manuel Antonio National Park. Enjoy casual dining with fresh fish specials, a vibrant bar scene, and sunset views from the terraces over the ocean.

11. Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant

WHERE: Diani Beach, Kenya

If you love history, crystal clear water, and white sandy beaches, you’ll feel like you’re in seventh heaven here. At Ali Barbour Restaurant, 22 miles south of Mombasa, you can dine in a 180,000-year-old coral grotto surrounded by fascinating stalactites. The natural cave holes open the ceiling upwards, allowing you to experience a magical dinner under the clear starry sky. The ambiance is romantic with soft candlelight and the menu is locally sourced with fresh oysters and fish. Some dishes are prepared tableside, such as a flambe of bananas and ice cream.

If you are the adventurous type, and love good food, these places just might be right up your alley. They are definitely up mine. These are all definitely places to enjoy that are on my one-day list. My only problem is there are too many things to do, and places to go but not nearly enough time, or $$$ to do them all. But I keep telling myself, one day. :)

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ’Til next time.