Where to go when you want more than just a meal
London is a foodie’s dream, with restaurants serving cuisine from every country and price-bracket imaginable. But what about when you want more than ‘just’ a meal? We round up some of the city’s most exciting and unique restaurant experiences.
Dining in the dark
Dans Le Noir is a very strange proposition. If your French is up to scratch then you’ll understand why - your entire meal takes place in pitch blackness. You’ll be taken to your table by a blind waiter and then served a series of mystery courses. Part of the fun is guessing what you’re eating. Is it really true that when you restrict one sense the others become heightened? While you may suffer a few spillages, it’s interesting to learn how different it is to socialise in the dark, and you’ll emerge with renewed appreciation for your sight.
Dans Le Noir is open Mon - Sat, booking is essential.
30-31 Clerkenwell Green, near Farringdon tube.
Dining in secret
Gingerline is a radical dining experience constantly on the move. Buy a ticket, and on the right date wait near to an East London line station (it does look a bit ginger on the map, now you mention it). You’ll receive a text telling you where to go, with no idea what to expect. So far themes have included secret gardens, alien planets and a ritualistic sisterhood. What next? Book to find out.
Gingerline events are held in secret locations. See their website to reserve a place and find out more.
Dining at the circus
Circus supplements its pan-Asian menu with a special treat between courses. After your plates are cleared away the table becomes a stage for performances by acrobats, firebreathers and cabaret acts. Rarely have dinner and a show been so intimately entwined.
Circus is at 27 Endell St, WC2H. Booking recommended.
Dining in the future
At Covent Garden’s Inamo, the sushi will be as you expect - but the service won’t. Instead of telling the waiter your order you select dishes from the screen projected onto your table. It’s a space-age touch with limited applications but fun nonetheless. You can also use your tabletop screen to order a cab, check out the route home or spy on the kitchen using a handy webcam.
Inamo is open Mon - Wed for dinner, Thurs - Sun for lunch and dinner.
They have two branches, in Soho and Covent Garden.
Dining with a literary twist
Restaurant Story isn’t just a Michelin starred restaurant from rising star chef Tom Sellers. It also has a unique library, where each guest is asked to bring a book and leave it for future diners. The mouth-watering menu is even arranged into chapters, themes and forewords... but it’s always sad to reach The End.
Story is at 199 Tooley St, near Tower Bridge. Reservations are essential for dinner. They are currently accepting bookings for August.