The best unique dining experiences are here to level-up date night
If you’re anything like us, food is everything to you. It’s a personality trait, it’s joy, it’s a lifestyle. Food is not just about filling your belly up, it’s the whole package. Yes, sure, picking up a McD’s drive-thru milkshake here and there can really hit the spot, and Uber Eats has been a lifeline for a lot of people during lockdown – but there is nothing like going to an actual restaurant and getting the 360 experience of dreams. Enter: unique dining experiences across London.
Michelin star restaurants have been providing good food, max entertainment and major scenes since forever, but what we’re about to share with you goes way beyond where to get good sushi – think artificial intelligence, costumes, and settings that are a little out of the ordinary. Basically – and we don't mean to be dramatic here – but you’re about to see is going to blow your mind.
Ever wondered what it’s like to be strapped in on a seat with dangling feet and dine 100 feet above ground? How about experiencing a Halloween themed enchanted afternoon tea session for a magical date night? If you missed out on cocktails by the beach due to amber country restrictions, turns out you can experience something of the sort right at home…
Lucky for you we have scoured the depth of the earth (OK, the depths of London – there's still a pandemic out there and travelling is a little limited) to find the most amazing, out of this world dining experiences that will have you shook. We can confirm, steak tastes better in the sky and chowing down in the dark without knowing what you're eating is a sensational sensory adventure for any foodie.
Keep scrolling through to find the best unique dining experiences to book now for you and your loved ones. Dinner upgrade activated!
For more from Glamour UK Beauty & Features Assistant Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona
AMBRA VERNUCCIO ALL COPYRIGHT RESERVEDDinner and a show
This is one for the memory books! London's best cabaret club brings diners, multi talented singers and dances together creating a groundbreaking atmosphere not to be missed. Show themes change every few months with the current theme being Best Of British Pop, taking you through some of the popular pop music and dace throughout the decades. Elton John is that you? Diners will feast on seasonal set menus via silver table dinner service from some of the finest Michelin Star chefs in the world. In short, the food is just like the show, exquisite!
Prices: Starting at £50 for the Sliver Tapas Menu all the way up to £165 for the Royal Diamond Menu including pre-show entertainment, canapés on arrival, 4-course set menu, VIP area, half a bottle of Moet & Chandon, themed cocktails and access to the clubs after party open till late.
©johncarey2020Late night dining
If you're looking for dinner with a late-night twist, Latin American restaurant Amazónico has just the ticket. Head on a Thursday with your group of best gal pals and tuck into mouth-watering dishes from executive chef Vitelio Reyes (think wagyu beef and huitlacoche cream empanadas; langosta arrebatada – native lobster cooked over hot charcoal served in miso and spiced shellfish butter) before letting your hair down to Amazónico’s bands and resident DJs playing the soundtrack to its extended live jungle sessions. Expect live musicians, special guest DJs, table bottle service and dancing. The closest thing you can get to a Latin American party in the capital.
For New Year's Eve, Amazónico will be hosting the must-attend party in the capital, with the restaurant transformed into a jungle wonderland and musical performances from Amazónico’s house bands, sets from resident DJs and live instrumentalists that will keep guests grooving until 3am.
Prices: Table reservations require a minimum spend of £500.
Honey-based dining
Not tried a honey-based bistronomique-concept restaurant complete with onsite beehives and keepers before? Then let us introduce you to Hive, a small but popular restaurant tucked away in Selfridges whose mission is simple: to create delicious dishes using organic ingredients that showcase the flavours, aromas and tasting notes of honey. Don't miss the melt-in-your-mouth scallops served with purée of cauliflower, peas and purple cauliflower, or the wild sea bass served with heritage tomatoes and pesto. There are plenty of vegetarian options too, like tomato pasta or the baked St Marcellin chese baked with honey and truffle oil.
Prices: starters between £8.50 - £15; mains between £12 and £29.
Sky dining
This unique open-air restaurant experience lifts diners 100ft above the ground and is located in London's iconic O2 arena. Not only did it promise a thrilling experience and breathtaking panoramic views of London, but boy did it deliver. Once you get over the drop and get accustomed to the butterflies on your belly, this experience is what dinning dreams are made of. The specially curated food and drinks menus, allows guests to book up to two 22-seat tables and sit back and relax as chefs prepare breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, cocktails or dinner, and entertainment throughout, all while suspended in the sky. Flights run from 09:00am to 20:30pm until Sunday 26th September.
Prices: Tickets start at £79 per person
Dining in the dark
This is a true foodie London sensory experience that will leave you gobsmacked. The concept is simple: guests come in and dine in complete darkness, accompanied and served by unexpected guides. Just when you think you know your food this experience will have you re-evaluating your perception of taste by reawakening senses overwhelmed by the omnipresence of sight, to reinvigorate our relationship with the world and others. More flavour you say? Sign us up!
Prices: From £48 per person
Ballpit dining
Ballie Ballerson is bound to bring out the big kid in all of us. The name says it all, you will be immersed in two giant big adult ball pits that you can jump into while enjoying some colourful, signature cocktails along with pizzas and wings. The restaurant is located in the heart of Shoreditch and is the perfect place for a night out, a few beverages and some tasty bites.
Prices: Tickets start from £5
Wizard dining
Georgian House Hotel Wizard Afternoon Tea
Come visit the Georgian House hotel, on weekends throughout October and all through the Half Term school holidays, the hotel will be celebrating the year’s most spooky occasion with an afternoon tea feast of Magical Tarts, Hidden Secrets Sandwiches, Devilled Eggs, Scones with Jam and Curdled Cream, Dark Arts Salted Caramel Cheesecake,you get the idea. They can all be complemented with either Bottomless Bubbles, or an Enchanted Cocktail or Mocktail made with a mix of Frozen Crystals, Druids’ Water and Ancient Fairy Dust. Georgian House Hotel’s Enchanted Afternoon Tea is available from 22nd of October.
Prices: From £30 per person
Murder mystery dining
Hopping on board the Murder Express Train may not sound like the most welcoming experience, but murder mystery night has just elevated to a new level. Here you will experience a night of theatrical entertainment from talented actors who transport you from a discreet East London garage to another time and destination with a menu designed by Masterchef The Professionals 2018 winner, Laurence Henry.
Prices: Tickets start from £65
High-tech dining
Welcome to the future! At Inamo Covent Garden, guests are able to place their orders – featuring stunning pan-Asian cuisine centred around sharing – via the sleek tablets and can play around with the striking interactive tabletop projections – yes, that means playing games, drawing graffiti your tables with the Sketch app, watching live video from the kitchen on chef-cam, and even upload your own images in advance before dining. This is the future of dining, so don’t get left behind...
Prices: Six guests private rooms packages for two hours of gaming and food start at £200
All-around-the-world dining
Yes, those underground cocktails bars down Shoreditch are cool, but Mr. Tipsy’s Down the Hatch takes cool to another level. This is an immersive cocktail experience located in Tower Hill, London where guests are taken through seven rooms that are each themed to a cocktail - so a beach (with real sand) with your margarita, an ice bar for a vodka - an OTT celebration of cocktails with actors, insta-perfect sets and professional pours! In covid times, this is just what the doctor ordered!
Prices: Tickets start from £39.50
