There’s something incredibly British about eccentricity. When we hear about John Mytton, who arrived at a dinner party riding his pet bear, or John Churchill, the WW2 officer who fought the Germans with his bow and arrow and a broadsword, we smile and indulge. This would cause consternation in other countries, but not here, quirkiness is a celebrated character trait. And so too with our restaurants. We love a bonkers concept, a quirky take or a funny idea, and we want to eat there. Here are some of London‘s best.
Park Chinois
Park Chinois plays homage to the opulence and decadence of 1930’s Shanghai, with exquisite regional Chinese food and exceptional live entertainment in the heart of London’s Mayfair. Behind the intriguing red doors is an interior inspired by the aesthetics of Chinoiserie; the French love affair for the mystique of the Orient.
Where: Park Chinois, 17 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, W1J 8EA
Nearest station: Green Park (0.2 miles)
Website: www.parkchinois.com
Tonight Josephine
If you haven’t said “Tonight Matthew” in conversation at some point, are you even a millennial? The venue’s quirky name in fact refers to Napoleon’s first wife, apparently one of history’s most famous lovers, Joséphine de Beauharnais and this can totally be felt inside as the atmosphere emanates a certain, je n’sais pas… Sexiness? With the interior covered in more glitter than a unicorn’s vomitorium, you definitely can’t file Tonight Josepine under ‘vanilla’ or ‘everyday’. Sips and serves include Love Potion No. 10, a strawberry-infused Bombay Sapphire gin topped off nicely with prosecco, and ‘soup of the day’ is always champers at pink venue Tonight Josephine!
Where: 39A Hoxton Square, N1 6NN
Website: www.tonightjosephine.co.uk
The Rubens at the Palace
There’s nothing in life that can’t be made 100% cooler if you wrap it in leopard print. FACT. Leopard print Crocs? Tick. Radio 2? Yes. A paragliding Nigel Farage in a thong? Grudgingly, yes, but please get that image out of my head. Wrap it all in leopard print and you’ve got yourself a super-cool spotty beast. Which is what The Rubens At The Palace has gone and done. The hotel, overlooking Buckingham Palace, recently unveiled their bar and everything, yes everything, is leopard print. With panelled walls and deep buttoned sofas the big cat themed bar is sophistication writ-large. And spotty.
Where: 39 Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, SW1W 0PS
Nearest station: London Victoria (0.2 miles)
Website: www.rubenshotel.com
Glass Room
Looking for quirky? How does a floating glasshouse that’s also a restaurant suit you? This aquatic fine dining restaurant cruises up and down the Thames while you enjoy the iconic sights of the city. It can’t fail to float your boat, if you get our drift. Sea what we did there? [enough!]
Where: Bateaux London, Embankment Pier, Victoria Embankment WC2M 6NU
Nearest station: Embankment (0.1 miles)
Website: www.bateauxlondon.com
Inamo
Let’s face it, the table hasn’t really changed for the best part of 2,000 years. Everything else has. They didn’t even have iPhones 2,000 years ago (think Nokia). But Inamo is here to change all that, with their unique smart tables. The tables display the menu, allows you to order, you can even customise it with your own photos or stream a video of the kitchen. It’s the future (maybe).
Where: 134-136 Wardour Street, Soho, W1F 8ZP
Website: www.inamo-restaurant.com
Dans Le Noir?
Not one for the Instagrammers, Dans Le Noir, quite literally ‘in the black’ is a dining experience with a difference, you can’t see. Anything. Run by a blind front-of-house team, your evening is a feast for the senses. As they say, when you lose one sense another takes its place, and you’d better hope that’s taste because the grub is pretty decent too. The Clerkenwell restaurant also challenges us to rethink how we perceive the world, and others, by taking away our ability to see texture and taste in food take precedence over presentation. Perhaps it would be a good place for a first date? Read our dedicated review here.
Where: 69-73 St John St, London EC1M 4NJ
Website: www.london.danslenoir.com
sketch
Sketch (sorry, ‘sketch’, the upper-case S seems to have gotten lost on the trip from outer space) is the spiritual home of quirky. No guide to quirky restaurants is complete without the place. The famous loos are shaped like alien eggs, the artwork is bizarre, the interior designer was clearly on a mind-bender but without a budget and came back with something so off-the wall that restaurateur Mourad Mazouz and Masterchef’s Pierre Gagnaire couldn’t say no. Everything about sketch is weird, wonderful and, dare I say it, perfect.
Where: 9 Conduit Street, Mayfair, W1S 2XG
Nearest station: Oxford Circus (0.3 miles)
Website: www.sketch.london
Jazz Cafe
If the name doesn’t give it away, the rambunctious nature of the venue will. Jazz Cafe in Camden serves as a live music venue ideal for those who love a Friday night gig and beer sloshed over the head! Exciting up-coming events can be found here, including The Sounds of Otis Redding and Fela Kuti’s Birthday.
Where: 5 Parkway, Camden Town, NW1 7PG
Website: www.thejazzcafelondon.com
Sarastro
Sarastro is such a quirky venue filled with paraphernalia, clashing colours and reclaimed props. The Drury Lane restaurant is like entering a carnival and definitely takes shape as more of an immersive experience than a dining one. The menu is Turkish and offers something different to your usual foodie findings.
Where: 126 Drury Lane, WC2B 5SU
Website: www.sarastro-restaurant.com
The Black Cab Coffee Co
If Vauxhall is part of your morning commute then trade your morning Starbucks run with a stop off at The Black Cab Coffee Co. The fully converted black cab complete with raised roof (which a bearded barista may or may not be standing out of) serves artisan coffee and cocktails outside Vauxhall station as well as being available for private hire for weddings, parties, festivals and corporate events.
Where: Riverside Walk, Battersea, SW8 5AU
Website: www.theblackcabcoffeeco.com
Bunga Bunga Covent Garden
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s sex parties were, famously, called his Bunga Bunga parties. And an Italian Prime Minister’s sex parties is a great basis for a whole restaurant. Or so thought the guys who already owned the Margaret Thatcher themed club Maggie’s in Chelsea. And they couldn’t have been more spot on. Bunga Bunga is an eclectic Italian themed restaurant. You can drink aperol straight out of a Roman’s penis, or you can enjoy one of the longest pizzas in London (not a euphemism, they’re massive), and then it all turns into a nightclub for a seriously cheesy, seriously fun evening. Quirky? Double tick!
Where: 167 Drury Ln, London WC2B 5PG
Website: bungabunga.com
La Bodega Negra
If you’re feeling naughty and want to impress a date with your knowledge of underground London, this one’s for you. The gaudy neon sign outside reads ‘sex shop’ and you’re greeted at the door by a mannequin in a PVC gimp suit, casually lounging by a very adult toy cupboard. Descend into a heady Mexican underworld, a subterranean lair of tequila barrels, tacos and a weird deconstructed piano thing hanging off the wall. This is a place to see and be seen. Better make sure you’re there then (gimp suit optional). www.labodeganegra.com
Where: 9 Old Compton Street, Soho, W1D 5JF
Website: http://www.labodeganegra.com
Circus
Once you’ve eaten beneath gyrating acrobats, you’ll never want to eat any other way. West End restaurant Circus is a cabaret restaurant like none other. As you eat your meal (the menu is pan-Asian and high enough quality to prove this isn’t simply a gimmicky restaurant), enjoy aerialists, contortionists, handbalancers, fire-breathers, hula-hoopers and other acts do their thing. Quirky and enjoyable.
Where: 27-29 Endell Street, Westminster, London, WC2H 9BA, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Covent Garden (0.1 miles)
Website: www.circus-london.co.uk
The Attendant
There are actually a surprising number of venues in converted public loos but our pick is The Attendant in Fitzrovia. The wrought iron entrance leads way to the old Victorian public convenience which, after a good scrub, was converted into The Attendant as we know it in 2013. Original porcelain urinals function as tables along one wall with great coffee (from their own roastery) and seasonal food served daily. Bright lighting and white tiles stop the space from feeling dingy and if its history puts you off slightly, don’t let it – it sat unused for over 50 years before the current owners got their clean hands on it.
Where: 27a Foley Street, Fitzrovia, W1W 6DY
Website: www.the-attendant.com
Tupe.Supperclub
How does eating in a tube carriage sound? Before you answer, it’s not in an active carriage, and is definitely not still motoring Londoners around the city. It’s in an open air museum in Walthamstow, and has been kitted out to maintain restaurant-standard comfort, and serves a great Latin-American inspired six course tasting menu.
For some inspiration, check out our review of tube.supperclub.
Where: 10 S ACCESS RD, LONDON E17 8AX
Website: supperclub.tube
