In an ever-growing London food landscape, there’s a desperate need to stand out from the crowd. It’s something these quirky restaurants have done pretty niftily; whether it’s an unusual menu, some wacky decor, a kooky theme, or even waiters singing opera, they’ve all found their own comfortable little niche. So, without further ado, here’s our rundown of 28 of the best quirky restaurants in London:
You’ll have heard of this one before. Dans le Noir?, which literally means ‘in the dark’, is the famed Clerkenwell restaurant where you eat your meal in a pitch-black room, guided throughout by visually-impaired waiters. Menus don’t delve into specific dishes, relying on themes instead – the red menu promises meat dishes, whilst blue will get you fish – so you’ll also have no idea what you’re eating until it’s in your mouth.
With sight gone, your other senses are sharpened, aiming to enhance your appreciation of the meal. Plus no-one can see if you spill something on your clothes (or stab yourself in the face with a fork)… A worthy addition to this roundup of the best quirky restaurant in London then.
📍You’ll find Dans Le Noir at 69-73 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Farringdon.
Going in quite the opposite direction, you’ll be all too aware of what you’re eating at Archipelago. Menu items here include python carpaccio, kangaroo skewers, and crocodile curry, along with a side salad of mealworms, ants and crickets! Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, though they do say that eating insects is the future remember! Maybe it’s time to try it out…
📍You’ll find Archipelago at 53 Cleveland Street, London, W1T 4JJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Goodge Street.
Anyone with their eyes fixed on the London Italian restaurant scene (or just frequent readers of our website) will have heard of Big Mamma; the super-decorated, super-tasty trio of Ave Mario, Gloria, and Circolo Popolare. Now, they’ve gone even further with their fourth – a four-storey ‘pleasure palace’ in Kensington that goes by the name of Jacuzzi.
Now why is this one on this ‘quirky restaurants in London’ roundup we hear you ask dear reader? Well – venture up three flights and you’ll find a Sicilian mezzanine with a retractable roof opening out to the hustle and bustle of High Street Kensington. Plus, while we aren’t normally shouting about the bogs when visiting a new restaurant, these ones are pretty out there. After all, there’s glitter disco balls in them. Toilet rave? Why the hell not.
📍You’ll find Jacuzzi at 94 Kensington High Street, London, W8 4SJ.
🚇 Nearest station is High Street Kensington.
If you come expecting a peep show, you’re going to leave disappointed. But if you come for tacos, you’ll be pretty well satisfied, since this Soho sex shop is actually a Mexican restaurant in disguise. Titivating tacos, tostadas, and quesadillas are the sexiest things on offer, and we certainly aren’t complaining.
📍You’ll find La Bodega Negra at 16 Moor Street, London, W1D 5AP.
🚇 Nearest station is Tottenham Court Road.
A restaurant on board a glass-roofed double-decker bus you say? Sign us up! Bustronome is a one-of-a-kind dining experience which will take you all across London and give you the chance to see some of the best panoramic views in town.
Starting and ending on the Victoria Embankment, you’ll see sights such as the V&A Museum, Tower Bridge and Westminster Abbey while tucking into a six–course meal. Now what could be better than that?!
📍You’ll find Bustronome at Coach Bay, 40B Victoria Embankment, London, WC2N 6PB.
🚇 Nearest station is Embankment.
JIJI occupies a quiet street just off of Islington’s Upper Street; however, the moment you step through the doors, you’re welcomed into an abundance of colour, sounds and smells. Blending together both Japanese and Middle Eastern cuisines, it’s a funky spot with some pretty quirky 3D murals decking the walls. Perhaps it is JIJI herself?
Add in some pretty delectable dishes, a whole array of delicious cocktails, some eclectic artwork and a plush velvet booth to hang out in and you’ve got yourself one of London’s most exciting new spots. Definitely one to check out!
📍You’ll find Jiji at 6G Esther Anne Place, London, N1 1WL.
🚇 Nearest station is Angel.
7. Restaurant Story, London Bridge (closed until 2024)
A restaurant without a menu is always going to be an intriguing choice, which is why we had to add it onto this roundup of the best quirky restaurants in London… Tom Sellers’ Bermondsey joint invites diners to reveal their food preferences, and then enjoy a meal designed specifically for them. Every dish tells a story, and critical acclaim indicates that they’re very good yarns.
📍You’ll find Restaurant Story at 199 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2JX.
🚇 Nearest station is London Bridge.
8. Gremio De Brixton, Brixton
This authentic tapas restaurant-come-bar is based in the vault of a church in Brixton – so it’s certainly fairly quirky it has to be said! Add in the fact that it is mostly lit by flickering candles and has plenty of nooks and crannies for you to hide away in, and you can see why the word ‘atmospheric’ gets flung around with regards to this one.
Come Fridays and Saturdays, it also transforms itself into one of South London’s premier nightlife venues, with reggaeton being spun until the wee hours by DJs. Heck, there’s even flamenco here too – time to bust out them dance moves.
📍You’ll find Gremio De Brixton in the Basement of St Matthew’s Church, Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1JF.
🚇 Nearest station is Brixton.
A 24-hour restaurant best known for confit duck leg served on a sweet waffle doused in a sticky sauce might have made this list of the best quirky restaurants in London anyway. But when that eatery happens to sit on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate, it just had to get the nod. Duck and Waffle is a great all-rounder, perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or midnight feasts soaking up the views.
📍You’ll find the Duck and Waffle at 110 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AY.
🚇 Nearest station is Liverpool Street.
10. sketch, Mayfair
Utterly gorgeous, this place enters the quirky restaurants pantheon for stylish meals served in ultra-luxe settings. Our favourite spot is The Glade, done up to look like a mythical woodland, complete with forest floor carpets. Don’t forget to check out their futuristic loos, though. And If you’re after a truly unforgettable meal, then make your way over to The Lecture Room and Library, the restaurant that won sketch its three Michelin stars.
📍You’ll find sketch at 9 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2XG.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
11. WC, Clapham and Bloomsbury
Wine and cheese are just lovely wherever they’re served – including in a former public toilet. Sitting right next to Clapham Common station, this little gem is anything but bog-standard, making it a fun and unusual date spot for cheese and vino. They’ve also got another branch in Bloomsbury’s Conduit Street – oh darling!
📍You’ll find WC at Clapham Common South Side, London, SW4 7AA and at the *ahem* Former Public Convenience, Guilford Place, London, WC1N 1EA.
🚇 Nearest stations are Clapham Common and Russell Square.
If you’re a chicken fan, then this one’s for you. Love fried chicken, but struggle to choose between wings, drums, or breasts? That’s not a problem at Chick N Sours, where they’ll serve you a whole chicken, brined and then fried for extra crispiness. Add beef dripping fries and pickled watermelon or ‘bang bang cucumbers’, and it’s a Sunday Roast Fry we can get very much on board with. Note that you’ll need to book a ‘fry’ 48 hours in advance.
📍You’ll find Chick ‘N’ Sours at 390 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4AA and at 1A Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LL.
🚇 Nearest stations are Haggerston and Covent Garden.
13. Hunan, Sloane Square
Hunan may be an excellent Chinese restaurant, but they aren’t big on free will. Here, you tell them what you will and won’t eat, and they’ll decide what you’re having that night. Luckily, they’re rather good at choosing for you. The ever-changing, top-secret menu is put together each day by the distinguished Mr Peng and his expert team of chefs, who will dish up fifteen to eighteen plates, until you can no longer do up the button on your trousers! Winner, winner.
📍You’ll find Hunan at 51 Pimlico Road, London, SW1W 8NE.
🚇 Nearest station is Sloane Square.
Flamboyance in restaurant form. Theatreland’s representative amongst London’s themed restaurants is a whirlwind of colours, opulence, and reclaimed props. Sarastro bills itself as ‘the show after the show’, with live music performances a regular occurrence. Named after a character from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, it’s chock-a-block full of repurposed opera boxes, old theatre props, and costumes from productions long since forgotten. Even the banisters are recycled, having been purloined from the Royal Opera House many moons ago. Probably not one for shrinking violets then!
📍You’ll find Sarastro at 126 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5SU.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
A British-Russian joint in Soho, Bob Bob Ricard has one very important ace up its sleeve. Every table is equipped with a ‘press for champagne’ button, perfect for those with an unquenchable thirst for bubbles. It certainly explains why they pour more champers than any other UK restaurant… Sign us up!
📍You’ll find Bob Bob Ricard at 1 Upper James Street, London, W1F 9DF.
🚇 Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
16. Park Row, Leicester Square
Now we all know how popular Marvel and DC have become over the past decade or so, so what better place could there be to wine and dine than a theatrical, comic-booked themed restaurant? Based right in the heart of Soho, Park Row is the first restaurant of its kind in the world, and has been created in partnership with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment and DC itself.
It’s split into five sections, the first of which is a lounge bar called Pennyworth’s – named after Bruce Wayne’s butler. There’s also a dining area called the Iceberg Lounge with live entertainment inspired by the iconic character The Penguin and The Rogue’s Gallery – a dining experience inspired by Selina Kyle’s Catwoman. Heck there’s even a ‘speakeasy’ here which is just calling out for a drink or two.
📍You’ll find Park Row at 77 Brewer Street, London, W1F 9ZN.
🚇 Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
Waterloo-based Vaulty Towers may well just be the most eccentric pub-slash-bar in the whole of London Town. The whole place is covered in incredible stage props – like a pair of semi-terrifying hands hovering over the door and neon signs and feather boas all over the shop.
While it’s not exactly a restaurant per se, they do do food here – burgers, loaded fries and macaroni cheese are all on the menu – and they’ve also got resident cats and dogs which pace around the room! They’ve also got regular pub quizzes, DJ nights and even life-drawing classes here – so there’s plenty to keep you occupied!
📍You’ll find Vaulty Towers at 34 Lower Marsh, London, SE1 7RG.
🚇 Nearest station is Waterloo.
Admittedly, the uniqueness of this unusual London restaurant is dependent on the egg-laying habits of their ostrichs. When one of the coveted eggs appears, they fry it and stick it in the middle of an epic sharing fry-up. Pretty much guaranteed to fill you up, as sure as eggs is eggs. But if there ain’t any ostrich eggs, there are massive brekkie-style burgers here (see above). Phew!
📍You’ll find Florentine at 6 Hercules Road, London, SE1 7DU.
🚇 Nearest station is Waterloo.
19. Bunga Bunga, Covent Garden
Silvio Berlusconi may not have done great things for Italy, but he did pretty good things for Bunga Bunga. The wacky Berlusconi-themed spot is part-restaurant, part-variety show, part-karaoke room and all kinds of goofy fun. The team here clearly believe there are three keys to a good party: lots of food, outrageous entertainment, and generally getting as silly as you can. We couldn’t agree more…
📍You’ll find Bunga Bunga at 167 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5PG.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
20. Circus, Covent Garden
Dinner and a show is the order of the day at Circus, another worthy contender on this best quirky restaurants in London roundup. The menu is Pan-Asian, the entertainment is circus (unsurprisingly) with a hint of cabaret, all of which takes place on a stage in the middle of the restaurant. Sounds pretty darn quirky to us.
📍You’ll find Circus at 27-29 Endell Street, London, WC2H 9BA.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
21. Inamo, Soho & Covent Garden
More Pan-Asian cuisine, but this time all the entertainment takes place on your tabletop. Inamo’s USP is their interactive menu, which is beamed onto your table, letting you order meals without the pesky human interaction that comes from dealing with a real waiter. You can also browse a map of the restaurant, see a live cam of the kitchen, play retro games, and even graffiti your table. Politer than playing with your food then!
📍You’ll find Inamo at 134-136 Wardour Street, London, W1F 8ZS and 11-14 Hanover Place, London, WC2E 9JP.
🚇 Nearest stations are Covent Garden and Tottenham Court Road.
Their commitment to one addictive ingredient is laudable. Londoners will do pretty much anything for cheese, and they’re spoiled for choice at the bricks and mortar restaurant from cult street food traders The Cheese Truck. Pasta, blue cheese raclette, cheeseboards, and the classic cheese toastie all feature at this church of cheddar, and there are other branches dotted about in Columbia Road, Seven Dials and Paddington too.
📍You’ll find The Cheese Bar at Unit 93 – 94, Chalk Farm Road, Chalk Farm, London, NW1 8AH.
🚇 Nearest stations are Camden Town and Chalk Farm.
23. Jungle Cave, Piccadilly Circus
The 90’s truly were the most glorious of eras, and this spot proves it. A mocked-up Amazon rainforest sitting on Shaftesbury Avenue, the Jungle Cave (previously known as the Rainforest Cafe) is the ultimate in kitschy themed dining, complete with foliage, waterfalls, and animatronic creatures dotted about. Excellent for kids and adults alike, it’s a real winner in our books.
📍You’ll find the Jungle Cave at 20-24 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EU.
🚇 Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
24. The Clink Restaurant, Brixton
Talk about an arresting meal. This restaurant is housed inside Her Majesty’s Prison Brixton, which means everyone serving you is actually a permanent resident. Far from being an exploitative new dining concept, The Clink is a charitable endeavour, aiming to reduce recidivism by helping inmates gain qualifications in the food industry. Definitely worth your time, although you won’t be served any alcohol since it’s banned on the premises – there are mocktails though!
📍You’ll find The Clink Restaurant at HMP Brixton, Jebb Avenue, Brixton Hill, London, SW2 5XF.
🚇 Nearest station is Brixton.
First buses – now boats! This floating fishy feast just had to make the list of the best quirky restaurants in London. For starters, it floats on Regent’s Canal, leisurely transporting diners from Paddington to Camden and back during the five-course feast. There’s nothing quite like taking to the waters whilst enjoying the fruits of the sea and a glass of bubbly.
📍You’ll find the London Shell Co. at Union Canal, Sheldon Square, London, W2 6EP.
🚇 Nearest station is Paddington.
26. Bel Canto, Lancaster Gate
Translated from the Italian, Bel Canto means ‘beautiful song’, which is your first clue to this restaurant’s quirk. Your meal is delivered by singing waiters, all of whom are classically trained opera singers. They’ll belt out beautiful arias whilst you eat, although we’re slightly disappointed that they don’t sing the contents of the menu to be honest with you. Somewhat confusingly, despite the name being Italian, and opera having its roots in Italy, the food here is French. So much for internal consistency… Note that the restaurant is currently closed, though it will be open again soon so keep your eyes peeled on their website for further details.
📍You’ll find Bel Canto at 67 Bayswater Road, London, W2 3LG.
🚇 Nearest station is Lancaster Gate.
Our penultimate entry on this roundup of the best quirky restaurants in London is The Doodle Bar – a place where you’re encouraged to actively ‘doodle’ all across the walls. They’ve got craft beers, cocktails and their legendary ‘Doodle burgers’, and is set in an industrial-style archway just off Druid Street. Keep your eye on their website too, as they have multiple events on throughout the year including their famous ‘doodle jam’.
📍You’ll find The Doodle Bar at 60 Druid Street, London, SE1 2EZ.
🚇 Nearest station is London Bridge.
Rounding off this list of the best quirky restaurants in London is the Clandestino Speakeasy in Walthamstow. As the name suggests, it’s technically not a restaurant – and they don’t do food here either – but it was so bloomin’ eccentric that we couldn’t not include it here.
Absolutely tiny and made to look like a proper ‘speakeasy’ from the Prohibition era, it’s a hidden, foliage-covered spot which is decked out in curtains, lamps and comfy rugs. In fact, given its size and decor, you’d think that you were in someone’s living room! They specialise in mezcal and tequila here, and they even do special tasting sessions too – check their website for further details.
📍You’ll find Clandestino at The Georgian Village, 100A Wood Street, London, E17 3HX.
🚇 Nearest station is Wood Street.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best quirky restaurants in London. Whether you’re looking for a place to doodle on the walls or are wanting to try your hand at eating crickets and ants, then this list should have you covered!
Also published on Medium.
