In a bid to overcome the notoriously competitive restaurant industry, more entrepreneurs are taking to unique restaurant concepts. This is backed up by OpenTable’s 2016 restaurant study, which showcased that 44% of restaurant owners consider their eatery to be a concept restaurant. In an attempt to provide a truly one of a kind eating experience, the UK has seen a wealth of unusual concepts appear.
Pet friendly restaurants
A recent trend popping up throughout the UK is the invention of pet restaurants. Cat cafes started out in Japan over 10 years ago and have since popped up across the world, with several around the UK. The oldest is London based cat café Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, which opened in 2014. Funded mainly by crowd funding, the restaurant combines traditional café furniture, cakes, afternoon tea and, of course, cats. This café provides London renters, who may be unable to have pets of their own, an opportunity to enjoy the comfort and company of rescue cats.
Their success has seen other cafes launch across the UK including:
- Mog on The Tyne
- Willows Cat Café on Tyneside
- Nottingham’s Kitty Café
- Cat Café in Manchester
- Masion de Moggy in Scotland
- The Bag of Nails in Bristol, the UK’s first cat pub
It’s not all about cats though; The House of Hounds became London’s first dog café and places like London’s Scooby’s Boutique Coffee Bar embrace dogs with special biscuits and treats. Whilst Teeside based Wags & Whiskers Canine Café make savoury muffins (known as wuffins) and even ice cream for dogs.
Dining in the dark and naked dining
Restaurants now look to offer a wider experience than just food, with plenty of restaurants across the UK targeting the senses and making dining out a real journey. Dans Le Noir? Is a chain of restaurants dotted around some of Europe’s biggest cities, providing diners the chance to eat in pitch black rooms. Served by visually impaired staff, the restaurant provides a platform to change perspectives and a unique dining experience. The London branch has been open for 10 years and continues to be successful, especially with their surprise menus. With a menu created by a Michelin star chef, diners are unaware of what they are eating, forcing any preconceptions out of their mind and forcing them to focus directly on the taste.
For a truly unique experience, London restaurant Bunyadi really stripped things back to basics. On arrival, diners are provided a locker to store their belongings and clothes and provided a robe to wear. All food is raw, vegetarian and vegan. With the lack of electronic devices and clothes, diners are focused solely on the food and diners’ horizons are broadened. With huge demand during its brief open time, Bunyadi’s website hints at their return at a different location.
Eating under or above ground
The wealth of variety of restaurants’ concepts allows for polar opposites to be catered for, whether that’s for fans of the sky or for those who prefer to stay underground. More specifically, on London’s underground tube service, courtesy of Basement Galley. Set up inside an old Victoria line carriage, Basement Galley offers diners an interesting and intimate surrounding to enjoy their meal.
Serving a mix of French and Scandinavian flavours from experienced chef Alex Cooper, Basement Galley ensures it’s not a gimmick. Diners are encouraged to communicate with each other, making the evening about meeting new people and consuming great food within an unusual location.
On the other end of the spectrum are Events In The Sky’s restaurants in London and Tyneside. A crane lifts 22 guests 25 feet into the air above the cities, for a spectacular view. A guest chef, sommelier and team of waiters bravely serve from the middle of the table, whilst guests are securely sat in comfortable chairs.
Open for an exclusive 14 day period, both restaurants will return next year with new cities to be added after the success of the events so far. A team of chefs from the cities best restaurants take charge of the event, simply transporting their menu 25 feet skywards and putting on a truly unique eating experience.
Ping pong bars, underwater eateries and rehabilitation restaurants
If you fancy eating somewhere that provides a valuable service to the community, Clink could be the place for you. Located at 4 prisons across the UK, Clink provides prisoners with rehabilitation opportunities to help get their lives back on track after their release. The charity rightfully brags about their 87.5% success rate in reducing reoffending.
The restaurants are modern and stylish with high quality and unique restaurant furniture in all 4 of their locations. More than just a charity, Clink has won over 40 awards throughout their 4 branches. Providing diners with full and happy stomachs as well as prisoners a better chance in their future rehabilitation.
For fish lovers, there’s nowhere better than the Two Rivers restaurant in Hull. Housed inside a huge aquarium, diners are able to view some of the best aquatic displays in Europe. The restaurant has been awarded TripAdvisor’s certificate of excellence and provides a broad menu to accompany the breath-taking views.
Bounce offers a sporting experience for diners, combining ping-pong with Italian and British cuisine. A leisurely dining experience is provided with an open counter restaurant, with bar stools and high restaurant tables on offer. Though step away from the food and you’re offered a vibrant and lively bar, offering ping pong tables for both diners and the general public. The casual restaurant has been taking London by storm and is a novel twist on casual dining.
With concepts and unique restaurants taking the UK and the world by storm, a creative idea can be the difference between sinking and floating in the restaurant business.