Unusual Eateries: Exploring London’s Food Scene
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London is mostly known for its ultra-luxurious restaurants and traditional British pubs, but you’ll find a wide array of eateries in the capital. Like New York, Paris, and Los Angeles, London is big enough to sustain every kind of ethnic restaurant, along with niche eateries and specialty bars, for its thriving bohemian and student populations.
Whether you’re looking for a kitschy novelty restaurant or an otherworldly food-tasting experience, London will have you covered. Fortunately, not all of these restaurants are at high-end price points, you’ll find some approachable dining destinations that are big on thrills and flavors without breaking the bank. In any case, you’re in for a treat.
What isn’t a treat is lugging your bags with you all over the city to sample intriguing dishes. So, head to a Bounce luggage storage location in London to drop off anything you don’t need while you dine. Here are the quirkiest restaurants in London:
Just about every detail of this Italian eatery in Covent Garden will pop out at you. The decor features striking geometric stripes of black and white, along with red velvet booths. The color scheme is modeled after Florence’s iconic Duomo. Every single detail aims for maximalist indulgence. From the eye-catching neon signage to the obnoxious portions of Italian comfort food, subtlety is not something you should expect at Ave Mario. Even the tableware is eccentric but hardly as ridiculous as the rainbow-clad toilets and bathrooms. The dining room aims to be a feast for the senses, but you’ll also find extravagant dishes like crazy-large ravioli, linguine topped with a whole lobster, and stracciatella ice cream cakes that look like a showstopper from The Great British Baking Show.
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For a bit of irreverent dining, head to this red-light district-themed Mexican restaurant near Soho. You won’t find much signage for La Bodega Negra outside, but keep an eye out for the words ‘sex shop’ in red neon. This encapsulates what you’ll experience in this dungeon-themed nightclub and restaurant.
Everything in this subterranean taco spot is as intimate and moody as you’d expect in a swingers bar or a bondage nightclub. The food is hardly the point, but it’s actually one of the better Mexican restaurants in London, with flour tortilla tacos and a number of regional entrees. The drinks certainly stand out, with a solid menu of specialty cocktails and one of London’s largest selections of tequilas. You shouldn’t need a disclaimer to know this isn’t a family-friendly dining establishment, but consider yourself warned.
You’ll doubtless already be familiar with London’s iconic double-decker buses before visiting the capitol. But if you’re in the mood for dinner with a view (or many views), you can book a table on Bustronome, which outfits these buses with lunch and dinner service for epic sightseeing and dining experience. You’ll enjoy panoramic views of iconic sights like the Victoria Embankment, V&A Museum, Tower Bridge, and Westminster Abbey while nibbling on a six-course meal.
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While there’s certainly nothing novel about kebabs in a place like London (just stop at any street food vendor), this stylish restaurant from a Michelin-quality team has managed something great. In a small, unassuming Covent Garden spot is a single counter that functions as a Chef’s table. You’ll be treated to inventive takes on traditional Mediterranean and Middle Eastern kebabs, all directly served on the tabletop at your fingertips. No plates. No silverware. You’ll find unique concepts like umami or American BBQ applied to these kebabs, with a curated drink pairing to complete the experience.
One of the more interesting dining experiences that’s been sweeping the restaurant landscapes is dining in the dark. While it may sound like a gimmick, there is plenty of evidence that eliminating the sense of sight provides a richer tasting experience. You’ll be eating your meal in complete darkness to promote savoring each bite. Even the ordering experience has been pared back so you can focus on the flavors rather than the ancillary parts of dining. With your taste buds sharpened, you’ll experience flavors like you never thought you could.
Dinner and a show? This Drury Lane restaurant’s dining room resembles the chaotic backstage of a theater performance more than a traditional dining establishment. With props and costumes adorning the walls and even opera boxes looking over the dining room, you’ll find yourself entertained during your meal, and that’s BEFORE the live musical performances start. The food? It hardly matters how good it is, but fortunately, it’s great.
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Fall down the rabbit hole at this Soho burger restaurant, which has adopted distinctive and eye-catching décor inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The aesthetics take ample inspiration from the iconography from other books and films, and the whole place threads the needle between kitschy and trippy. The menu is themed, with dishes named after Tarantino Films and other pop culture references. Expect updated versions of comfort food classics and burgers, which will even satisfy American travellers. Wonderland is also a solid option for meatless diners, with great veggie burgers and vegan comfort food, all spelled out on a menu that resembles a graphic novel. This one is definitely for the geeks.
If you’re interested in bespoke aesthetics and an elegant setting, the vast majority of these restaurants aren’t for you… But this upscale dining establishment is also an art gallery and a darn good one at that. With an eclectic array of contemporary art adorning the walls, you’ll enjoy the ambiance while dining in upscale European cuisine.
If you’re planning on eating your way through the weirdest and wackiest restaurants in London, you’ll want to leave the bags at the hotel or with a trusted luggage storage service like Bounce. Partnering with local businesses throughout London, Bounce offers the best possible experience for storing the bags while you sightsee or explore London’s cultural oddities. So you won’t have to waste time running to the hotel to drop the bags off!
