The 18 Weirdest, Wildest Restaurants Around The World Gallery
The 18 Weirdest, Wildest Restaurants Around the World
Themed restaurants around the world are becoming all the rage — from the eccentric and the quirky to the zany and downright terrifying. Restaurants and bars don't mind going the extra mile to give patrons an experience worth remembering. In Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan, a themed restaurant called Modern Toilet is built to resemble a restroom. You'll sit on a toilet and eat from toilet bowls, urinals, and squat toilets, depending on what you order. It may seem like a disgusting concept for some, but it has proved to be such a popular theme that a similar eatery was created in Hong Kong. At one point there was even one in California called Magic Restroom Café that closed in 2014.
We can't guarantee the food is amazing at all of these weird and wild restaurants, but most are worth checking out for the experience alone. So if you're looking for something a little different on your night out, take a look at these bizarre dining experiences around the globe. How many places would you try out of these weirdest, wildest restaurants around the world?
Syjil Ashraf, Bianca Bahamondes, and Serusha Govender contributed to this roundup.
A380 (Taipei City, Taiwan)
A380 is an airplane-themed restaurant in Taipei City, created to somewhat emulate the interior of, well, an Airbus A380 aircraft. The real aircraft is much more spacious and luxurious in feel than the restaurant, which is more like a common airplane experience that's a bit cramped. But the seats have headrests, the food comes on plastic trays, and purple lights accent the aisle floor and ceiling as they would on a flight.
Alcatraz ER (Tokyo, Japan)
The theme of Alcatraz ER restaurant in Tokyo is that of a prison hospital, and it is definitely a bit eerie and frightening. They don't shy away from their theme, either, serving strange menu items such as the "human intestines," which are long sausages in a kidney dish. To call your waiter over, you have to bang on the prison cell bars.
The Bubble Room (Captiva Island, Florida)
This fun restaurant in Captiva Island, Florida, is interesting because of its overwhelming décor. Even the tables at The Bubble Room are made of small memorabilia and pictures under a glass top. You'll find antiques everywhere, as well as Christmas decorations, old photographs of celebrities, colorful lights, dolls, and a toy train close to the ceiling that moves through different rooms of the restaurant. The food always satisfies and the desserts are a must.
Converted Coach Bus (Shenyang, China)
Many people use transportation to get to a restaurant, but at this restaurant in Shenyang, China, you'll dine in a converted coach bus. The bus doesn't move, but you'll sit in bus seats as waiters walk the aisle to serve you.
Devil Island Prison Restaurant (Devil’s Island, China)
How does dining in prison sound? Not so ideal to most, but if the idea is something that appeals to you, then check out the Devil Island Prison Restaurant in China. The restaurant was originally intended to scare people out of becoming criminals, but it has turned into much more. When you arrive, you'll have your fingerprints taken and pose for a mugshot with your prisoner number. You then have your meal inside a prison cell.
Opaque (Monica, California)
At Opaque, it's not so much about what you can see, but what you can't see. And what you can't see is literally everything. Based on a European concept that is said to enhance the sense of taste, Opaque features "dining in the dark," and makes for a truly unique experience. You will be seated in a pitch-black dining room and guided and served by blind or visually impaired staff members who have been specially trained to work in the dark. It's worth mentioning that all of this is meant to provide the best-tasting event possible, and is not meant to scare anyone in any way. Quite the contrary, actually, as servers are there to help and reassure all guests. The cost is $99 for a three-course prix fixe menu. Although Opaque pops up at different venues across the country and world (including Berlin, Paris, and Vienna) from time to time, Opaque has permanent restaurants in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.
Dinner in the Sky (Multiple Locations)
If you're not afraid of heights, then Dinner in the Sky would be a fun dining experience for you. After being strapped into your seat, you're raised into the sky by a crane. The company has partners in over 45 countries so you're bound to find a location near you if being suspended in the sky as you eat sounds like a dream. Just make sure your shoes are strapped on tight; you wouldn't want one to fall!
The H. R. Giger Bar (Gruyères, Switzerland)
This popular establishment is attached to the H. R. Giger Museum in Switzerland. Giger is the Swiss surrealist painter and sculptor best known to the world as the set designer of the iconic Alien movies. Although it is truly a visual feast and, technically, you can eat the bar snacks, this is really a bar rather than a restaurant.
Harvey Washbangers (College Station, Texas)
This restaurant in College Station, Texas, features a kooky laundromat theme, which is helped by the fact that the restaurant is an actual laundromat with 80 high-efficiency washers and dryers. It even offers wash, dry, and fold services! Folks opting for self-service (or those who didn't bring any dirty duds at all) can grab a beer, dig into a 100-percent Angus beef burger, or choose from a number of hot dogs, sandwiches, soups, and salads.
Hospitalis (Riga, Latvia)
This eatery brings the hospital to you. No, you're not crazy, but that won't stop your nurse (or waitress) from putting you in a straightjacket and feeding you from a hospital tray in a room designed to look like an emergency ward. The food is traditional Latvian fare and, despite the intriguing theme, the restaurant has gone through phases of opening and closing down (with waxing and waning public interest), so call ahead to check if the doctor is available to see you.
Ithaa (Alif Dhaal Atoll, Maldives)
Located below sea level, Ithaa was one of the first undersea restaurants created and is part of the Conrad Rangali Maldives Island resort. Dine in what seems like an underwater bubble with ocean wildlife swimming around you and the beautiful coral reef at your side.
Labassin Waterfall Restaurant (San Pablo City, Philippines)
Employees at Labassin Waterfall Restaurant in San Pablo City in the Philippines won't ask you to put shoes on before entering. In fact, they'll probably have you take them off. You wouldn't want to get them wet, right? Sitting at the foot of a small waterfall (which is really spillover from the Labassin Dam), you can enjoy lunch with a rushing waterfall only feet away from your table, passing under you and soaking your feet. Take pictures lying in the waterfall itself if you'd like after your meal.
Modern Toilet (Taipei City, Taiwan)
Debatably the most bizarre restaurant on this list is Modern Toilet in Taipei, Taiwan. As the name suggests, toilets are the theme. You'll sit on a porcelain throne during your meal and your food will be brought in toilet bowls, or a squat toilet for your dessert, and drinks are served in urinals.
Get ready to scour the sewers; the menu is divided by bathroom fixture, so you can order the Korean kimchi hot pot or beef curry, served in Western-style toilet bowls, and treat yourself to ice cream swirls in squat toilets. Although the food might not be the fanciest, it's the experience you should be going for, so don't feel like you're throwing money down the drain. (Sorry, we couldn't help ourselves.)
Ninja (New York, New York)
Servers dressed like ninjas dropping down from the ceiling are the norm at Japanese restaurant Ninja in New York City. The unique design of the restaurant consists of a long maze leading to the dining room, with the goal of setting the scene of dining in a Japanese mountain village.
O’Naturel (Paris, France)
No shirt, no shoes, no service is standard policy at most restaurants around the world. At O'Naturel, however, that policy is reversed. The Paris eatery made headlines in November when it opened its doors and announced a ban on any clothes whatsoever. The owners insist that the 20-seat restaurant is absolutely hygienic, as seat covers are changed after every meal: a three-course prix fixe menu for $58 which includes foie gras, lobster, escargot, lamb, and scallops. In addition to clothes, cell phones and cameras are also banned, as is exhibitionism and disrespectful sexual behavior.
Redwoods Treehouse (Auckland, New Zealand)
In the redwood forest of Auckland, New Zealand the Redwoods Treehouse was originally built for a campaign effort by the Pacific Environments Architects Ltd. Although you can't make reservations for a quick dinner or a date night, if you have a private event or party you'll be able to rent out the space and have it catered up in the forest trees.
Robot Restaurant (Tokyo, Japan)
Shinjuku is known as one of the most energetic nightlife centers in all of Tokyo — a neon-dipped city already famous for its after-hours antics. No establishment is as representative of this as Robot Restaurant and Bar, located in a basement in the Kabukicho district. Every night, bikini-clad girls remotely battle enormous robots in a central arena that looks like the world of Tron during a rave. The show is about three hours and the ¥8,000 entry fee (around $80 USD) includes a mediocre bento box and a drink. It's the extravaganza — not the fare — that you'll be paying attention to.
Safe House (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Although the interior of Milwaukee's Safe House is an eclectic mix of spy and secret agent décor, it's the outside that makes this restaurant truly bizarre. It's an unassuming little storefront that is marked as "International Exports, Ltd.," and if you didn't already know an eatery was located inside, you'd probably never give it a second look. Heck, even the website's directions are purposely misleading. The faux instructions for those approaching from the north direct guests to look for a man in a yellow raincoat and but not to be thrown when he says, "I don't know what you're talking about." The directions from the south are even less helpful, simply stating, "Travel north approximately 100 miles. Watch out for alligators. Then follow directions 'from the North.'" Even if you locate the restaurant, you'll still need a secret password (no spoilers here!) — otherwise you'll have to complete a "task" before being granted entry. Before you go, however, you should definitely make sure you know the 13 things you should never do in a restaurant.