Dining out is one of the best ways to escape for a little bit while enjoying some incredible food. Half the fun of dining out is being able to experience the atmosphere of a dining setting, whether it's dark and moody or bright and jazzy. Nothing gets a diner's attention like a restaurant with an interesting interior and this is what's so intriguing about trying out a new restaurant. The food is the main point of focus but the atmosphere... That's what keeps people from leaving.
Thankfully, the world is full of restaurants that have been entertaining and delighting diners for some time now. It seems that every major city has at least one restaurant that constantly has a line out the door, and it makes others wonder what's so special waiting on the other side of the doors. However, not many people expect to walk in and be greeted with an immersive, underwater experience or to be given food that's served in a toilet-shaped bowl... but alas, these restaurants do exist, and there's a reason they've garnered such a reputation. Sometimes, taking a walk on the wild side only involves opting for the road less traveled when it comes to dining experiences!
Redwoods Treehouse In New Zealand
Redwoods Treehouse is a stunning example of what happens when nature becomes incorporated into the dining experience. Diners can take in the sights from New Zealand's most stunning treetops as they traverse the heights to reach these pods to dine at a total of 32 feet above the ground.
The restaurant is not far from Auckland and an elevated walkway has been built for easy access to the very top. These pods must be booked in advance, however, as the pods themselves are not open daily by typical restaurant terms. Regardless, both the view and the experience of dining in mid-air is something that's pretty unbeatable.
Cat Café Nekorobi In Japan
There are no heights involved in this one, only furry feline friends. The Cat Café Nekorobi is one of those experiences where a diner knows they're about to be abundantly happy with the experience before they even have it. It's a proven fact that pets have been shown to increase happiness in humans, therefore, the addition of food to the mix is nothing short of perfection.
Cat Cafés have become increasingly popular but Tokyo still reserves the original location, and in this instance, diners can look forward to popular café drinks along with breakfast and lunchtime foods such as miso soup. We have to admit, there aren't too many things more adorable than sipping tea while petting a purring kitten.
Modern Toilet In China
In stark contrast, this restaurant isn't necessarily cute... but it is humorous and incredibly unique. Modern Toilet is now a chain in China and it's no surprise that the idea for it came to fruition, well... while the owner was supposedly in the bathroom.
Thus, the modern era of toilet-shaped dishware was born, as is the concept of this interesting restaurant. The entire chain is bathroom-themed with diners getting their meals served to them in (fake) toilets. Even the seating in the restaurant has been made with faux toilet seats, making the experience pretty dang authentic.
SnowVillage Restaurants In Finland
The Ice Hotel in Sweden attracts many from all over the world during the winter season and in Finland, the Lapland Hotel offers three snow and ice-covered restaurants for diners to choose from. The Snow Restaurant is the most popular, though, and as it's made entirely out of snow and ice, adding a bit of a chill to any dining experience.
The ice bar is perhaps the most unique feature of the restaurant, serving up drinks on a bar that is, indeed, made purely of ice. Diners can experience traditional Finish cuisine Nordic-style cocktails, and even receive blankets to keep them warm through the entire dinner.
Ithaa Undersea Restaurant In The Maldives
Another well-known restaurant is Ithaa, which is on Rangali Island in the Maldives. Many know of this restaurant but don't exactly know where it is or how it works, but it's just like any other... except that it's full underwater.
The restaurant itself is completely transparent as even the roof is made of acrylic, and it sits roughly 14 feet below sea level, supporting a capacity of 14 people in total. It's part of the Rengali Island Resort and allows diners to literally eat with the fishes as they watch tropical marine life swim past giant windows on its exterior.