World’s Most Unique Restaurants

By Elli Davis, January 16, 2012

Gold Restaurant Selection

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about the best food markets in the world. Do not worry: I am still convinced it is absolutely worth personally experiencing as many of them as possible. If you are travelling to enjoy food, what about finding the most intriguing restaurants of the world and paying a visit to those as well? Amazing food markets combined with unique restaurants will undoubtedly make your trips unforgettable.

Gold: Milan, Italy

If you want to enjoy a truly glamorous atmosphere, the Milan-based Gold, which opened in 2006, is going to win you over. World-famous Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana are responsible the design of the restaurant, and I have to say they did an amazing job; every millimetre of the space reflects luxury! It was named Gold with good reason: nearly everything there — including chandeliers, mirrors, and the ceiling — is actually made out of gold.

Unsurprisingly, the restaurant offers mainly Italian cuisine, mostly influenced by Sicily and Calabria. However, there is more to Gold than just a restaurant. Visitors can also enjoy a nice cup of coffee, a drink or even a meal in the more casual atmosphere of the bistro or go wild in the nightclub. Business people who do not want to give up work or Internet access under any circumstances can rejoice: Wi-Fi is available as well. Interested? I thought you would be. Just do not forget to book a table; Gold is too popular to have an available one any time you decide to visit.

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant: Rangali Island, Maldives

Ithaa Interior by Wikimedia Commons

Do you ever feel guilty when eating meat? If so, you might feel super weird eating fish or a lobster with hundreds of sea animals looking straight at you and your plate. Ithaa, which means “pearl" and opened in 2005 at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort and Spa, is the very first underwater restaurant. What makes this restaurant unique is that it is located five metres below sea level and to ensure it will not float away, it weights about 200 tons.

The luxurious restaurant is quite small; it can only accommodate 14 people, so you had better book your table well in advance. Ithaa offers contemporary European cuisine with Asian influences, but the prices in the restaurant might be a little too high for the average person. One should not be surprised if a dinner for two costs a few hundred dollars. The scenery is truly breathtaking, however. See this video to convince yourself that the money you would spend would be well worth it.

Yellow Treehouse Restaurant: Auckland, New Zealand

Yellow Treehouse Exterior

Have you ever wondered how squirrels or birds feel when they are enjoying their meals somewhere high in the trees? Or did you have a tree house when you were a child and would love to go back in time to experience it again? You may not know it, but thanks to the Yellow Treehouse, which opened in 2008, you can do just this! The restaurant, located about 45 minutes north of Auckland, is a wonderful mixture of child-like adventure, delicious food, and interesting architecture.

The building has won several awards in the past, including the New Zealand Institute of Architects Branch Award and the Excellence Award of New Zealand Institute of Building. The pod-shaped restaurant 12 metres above the ground is a pretty popular place, and it can only host 12 people at once. Do not forget to reserve your table in time!

Nyotaimori: Tokyo, Japan

The name of this Tokyo-based restaurant precisely defines what the place is all about. “Nyotaimori” means female body plate, and that is exactly the whole concept of the restaurant — food is served on a naked female body. In this restaurant, the body is made from food, and it lies on an operating table. To get your meal, you have to cut the body open and eat whatever you find inside. Intriguingly, the body will actually bleed when you cut it, and everything you will find inside is completely edible. Visit and have as much fun as you can. This restaurant will bring out the freak in you!

Le Refuge des Fondus: Paris, France

Le Refuge Des Fondus

Once again, you can return to your childhood while having a lovely dinner. This popular restaurant located in the famous Montmartre neighbourhood offers not only amazing fondues (as you could have guessed from its name), but also a very special way of drinking wine. The drink is not served in proper wine glasses, but in baby bottles. Not a conventional way of enjoy high quality wine, is it? Some people love it, some think it is funny, and others believe it is ridiculous.

Whatever your opinion is, it is an undeniable fact that this place belongs among the well-known tourist attractions; it is extremely popular, so you will have to wait a while to get a table. It might well be worth it, though.

Posted in Lifestyle, Toronto Real Estate News | No Comments »