14 Weirdest Restaurants In The World

Eating at a restaurant is a simple treat that rarely comes with any big surprises. You're not expecting to be thrilled or shocked by a restaurant besides maybe being pleasantly surprised at how good the food tastes. However, there are millions of restaurants around the globe (with over 10 million in China alone), so some of them are bound to be a little stranger than average. 

Eating out at a restaurant is one of the most popular ways to spend a first date, but with so many different restaurant options out there, you'll want to do your research. That said, booking a restaurant reservation at one of these strange dining experiences might kick off a relationship in an exciting way or make the first date also the last. From the magically romantic to the exhilarating and just plain odd, there are more weird restaurants around the world than you might expect. 

There is something a little unnerving about not being able to see the food you're putting in your mouth, but that's the whole concept behind Dining in the Dark. When attending a Dining in the Dark event, you'll be led into the dining space and promptly have an impenetrable blindfold tied around your eyes. The entire meal will be served and eaten in the dark with the blindfold, and you won't be able to see a thing.

The event planners insist that taking away your sense of sight enhances your taste and smell, giving you a brand-new, sensory-heightened dining experience. The dinner is arranged in a three-course spread. While the menu is also a mystery, diners can choose a vegan, seafood, or meat option to request a meal that adheres to any dietary restrictions you may have. Dining in the Dark events are held throughout the world, though more commonly held in the U.S. and Europe. Event planners typically partner with local restaurants to host their dining events. To attend, go to the Dining in the Dark website to view upcoming events in your area.  

Created through a partnership between Voyages, an indigenous tourism company, and the Aboriginal-owned Ayers Rock Resort, the Sounds of Silence is a magical dining experience, where you eat atop dunes that overlook Australia's Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. After meeting initially at Ayers Rock Resort, which is about a 10-minute drive from the national park's entrance, you'll be transferred to a remote location to enjoy a luxurious meal under the clearest possible night sky. 

When you arrive, you'll be treated to hors d'oeuvres, wine, and beer while waiting for the sun to set. When the darkness descends, that's when the real show begins, as the area is one of the best places to stargaze in Australia. Under the twinkling stars above, you're served a multi-course meal as the evening sky becomes brighter and brighter with fully formed constellations.  

On a clear night, you'll be able to make out the Milky Way, the signs of the zodiac, and the Southern Cross. You'll even be able to catch a glimpse of planets and galaxies that you wouldn't be able to spot in most places on the planet. Accompanied by a didgeridoo performance and guided sky tour, the four-hour experience is capped with a return trip to Ayers Rock Resort. 

If you've ever wanted to feel like a creature of the jungle, book yourself a table at the Treepod Restaurant on Koh Kood island in Thailand. This isn't just a restaurant in the middle of the forest –- diners are literally pulled up to the treetops in a bamboo pod that looks a little bit like a bird's nest. Once you're positioned up in the foliage of Koh Kood's rainforest, prepare for an expertly crafted dinner. You may even be able to spot rare wildlife through the branches, like monkeys and birds.

Guests can choose between a one-hour gourmet meal or a two-hour luxury meal option. Inside the tree pod, you'll munch on a meal largely featuring ingredients from the restaurant's own garden. The waiters will even zipline each dish to your elevated nest for a little extra flare. It's the ideal place to eat for fans of nature and animals.

It's a little more difficult to find a strange restaurant that's also appropriate for kids, but the U.K.'s Rollercoaster Restaurant is a children's dream come true. Located in the Staffordshire countryside, this themed restaurant is part of Alton Towers Resort, and the establishment has one of the most eye-catching features you can find in a dining establishment. An overhead roller coaster track spans the entire space in true theme park fashion. 

Throughout the meal, toy roller coaster cars zoom overhead on glowing tracks doing loops and turns all around the patrons in an entertaining show. The rollercoaster car finally makes a 26-foot drop down in a spiral toward the tables as the grand finale. Then, guests discover that the cars are actually a vehicle for their order, and they can pop open the top to find their food. It's a creative and fun design, sure to keep the whole family entertained throughout their meal at this funky restaurant. 

The quirky location of a restaurant can make them weird. Take El Avión restaurant in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for example, which is housed inside the remains of an old C-123 Fairchild cargo plane with a long history. The plane was retired up on a cliffside before being converted into a two-level bar and restaurant. 

Visitors can enjoy food under the wings of the plane, there is a bar in the fuselage, and they can even stop by the cockpit to look around. El Avión is especially loved for its seafood dishes, considering it's right near the ocean and has some of the freshest fare possible. It's also perched nearly 500 feet above the beach, so the restaurant provides prime views over the coastline. Today, due to its weirdness and quality of food, many consider El Avión as one of the best restaurants in Costa Rica.

The Modern Toilet Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan straddles the line between being weird, funny, and a little gross all at the same time. As the name suggests, the entire restaurant is done up in a toilet theme, and they take that motif extremely seriously. The guests all sit atop toilet chairs, the food is served in toilet bowls, and the drinks are prepared in mini urinal cups. Even the dishes all go with the theme to an almost disturbing degree. 

Everywhere you look throughout the restaurant, there is some type of toilet or bathroom reference. Even though most people would agree that toilets aren't the most appetizing thing to think of at dinner, lots of customers swear that the food at Modern Toilet is actually really tasty and impressively prepared. This weird restaurant will probably give you a giggle fit throughout the meal, but you might want to avoid taking a first date here. They may never talk to you again.  

New York City is home to a plethora of wacky, odd restaurants, but few have stood the test of time as well as Ellen's Stardust Diner. Ellen's is a retro, '50s-theme restaurant and an interesting place to eat if you're seeing a Broadway show. The restaurant is located in the Theater District of Manhattan near Times Square and definitely upholds the area's dramatic reputation. 

Ellen's Stardust Diner is famous for its waitstaff, also known as the Stardusters. These staff members dress up in flouncy attire and put on elaborate singing and dancing performances throughout the restaurant while people eat. It's the main attraction of the establishment, and people literally come to Ellen's just to see the performers/waiters do their thing. 

In fact, many Stardusters have gone on to perform in iconic Broadway shows like "The Lion King," "In The Heights," "Wicked," "Jersey Boys," and more. You never know, you might have the chance to see a theater star sing and dance at Ellen's before their big break.