We’ve all had those dinners we’ll never forget. Maybe it was the delicious food, the incomparable company, the superb service or the stunning setting… either way it was a meal to remember. And here are five more unique dining experiences from across Europe you’re not likely to forget in the near future.

Dans le Noir, London

Imagine having your dinner and the lights go out.  If you’re dining at Dans le Noir, chances are that the lights will stay out throughout your meal. Dans le Noir is a ‘Dine in the Dark’ experience started by the Paul Guinot Foundation, an organization that supports the blind in France. The main aim of the restaurant is to promote awareness of what it is to be blind. As a result, all waiters are visually impaired and in an ironical fashion, they are the ones that guide the guests through the pitch black restaurants. Diners are asked to leave all potentially light-emitting gadgets outside the restaurant. The complete blackness of the setting tunes up your sensory experience and the rest of the meal is a guessing game as you grope around figuring out what you’re eating. The concept has become a hit and a chain of Dans le Noir restaurants have opened in France, London and Moscow.

If you’re up for the experience, log onto http://www.danslenoir.com/london/

‘s Baggers, Nuremberg

Isn’t it really annoying when the waiter gets your order wrong? Or seems to ignore you completely? If you're in ‘s Baggers, you won't have that problem. That’s because it doesn’t have any waiters. ‘s Baggers is the first automated restaurant. Customers simply use touch screen TVs to browse the menu and choose their meal. The order is sent real time to chefs upstairs (still of the old-fashioned human kind) who prepare the fresh, delicious meals. Once ready, the meal is put in a pot, given a sticker and a colour to match the customer’s seat and then sent sliding down a rollercoaster-like conveyor belt to reach the correct table.

To experience a prime example of German food and engineering, head to ‘s Baggers. http://www.sbaggers.de/mainger/?sid=restaurant&lang=en

De Kartofelkeller, Berlin

Here’s one for all you potato lovers. This restaurant pays homage to the humble spud. Potatoes have a starring role in all of the Kartofelkeller’s dishes. And there are almost a 100 of them to choose from.

So if you’re a potato fan, you’ll find nirvana at De Kartofelkeller, Berlin. http://www.kartoffelkeller.com/

Absolute Ice Bar, Stockholm, London

The Absolut Ice Bar is quite a cool experience and I mean that literally. Temperatures in the Ice Bar are well below zero. You’ll be given a cape and a fur coat to stay alive for the forty minutes or so that you’ll be in the ‘Below Zero’ zone. Drinks are served in fist-sized hollow ice cubes and you can pick them up from the ice blocks that make up the bar. In fact, all furniture is made of ice and once your forty minutes are up, you’ll be escorted to the warmer zone. Ice bars are gaining popularity and have opened up in London and Amsterdam too.

http://www.nordicseahotel.se/en/The-hotel/Food-and-drink/Absolut-Icebar-Stockholm/

Archipelago, London

Feeling a little adventurous? Then Archipelago is for you. Featuring an exotic menu including gnu, crocodile, locusts and kangaroo- just to name a few, this restaurant is definitely a walk on the wild side. For the more faint hearted, chicken, lamb and an extensive vegetarian menu is also available. Weird ingredients, crazy combinations and eclectic décor make this dining experience one you’ll remember long after.

http://www.toptable.co.uk/venues/restaurants/?id=993

Sidd Lobo
Freelance writer based out of Munich

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