The prospect of a fine dining experience brings to mind a couple of things: A polite and efficient staff, the ambiance - contained and constrained, an elegant plate setting and more importantly the real hero, food. Our expectations are rising perhaps because of our growing sophistication, our varied palate or simply because we've started to experience more. However, the one criteria that is yet to make it to the top of this list is the concept of themed restaurants. And by that I don't mean lavender scented, marble floored or rustic themes but bold, out-of-the-box and crazy ones. I've listed the top 10 themed restaurants around the world, the ones that'll make you gasp in shock, horror and awe. These restaurants are completely outlandish but have managed to knit together a unique theme with all its logistical nuts and bolts along with good quality food, service and ambiance. Toilet Restaurant, Taiwan and Hong Kong
Hoping for a crappy dining experience? You've come to the right place. This three floor bathroom-themed restaurant is so popular it's got 12 chains all over the world. It's swanky interiors are a refreshing treat for sore eyes: Silver and grey shower-heads look down from the ceiling whilefaeces-shaped lights brighten up the room. Customers sit on toilet seats and eat out of a bed-pan or a toilet shaped container.
Cannibalistic Restaurant, Japan Nyotaimori or naked-sushi is a practice that finds its roots in Japanese culture. It requires sushi or sashimi be served on a naked woman's body. The woman on the table is expected to stay still for hours while elite guests finish their meal off her. Her eyes closed, lips sealed and for a while she seems almost unreal. The Cannibalistic Restaurant takes this practice a step further as it brings you sushi and sashimi on a woman that you can eat too! She's made out of food and as the customers slice into her she bleeds to reveal her edible intestines and other organs. D.S Music Restaurant, Tapei The name of this restaurant suggests it might be an elegant restaurant which draws inspiration from good music but what you get is a total shocker! There's nothing pleasant or musical about this place. It's got waitresses dressed in stockings, suspenders and a nurses uniform. The bathrooms are marked as 'the emergency room', drinks are served in an IV bottle and customers eat off an operating table. X ray scan machines are used instead of posters to dazzle the walls and drinks like Tetanus, Tranquilizer and Contraceptive are served on hospital trolleys.
Heart Attack Grill, Las Vegas
The grill's founder has something special to say to his customers - "Don't come to my restaurant, it is bad for you and will kill you." Flatline fries, Bypass Burger, Coronary Hot Dog are only some of the many bad-boy calorie loaded items from an absurd menu. The Heart Attack Grill follows a strict 'no green' policy which means you won't find any lettuce, pickles or other green and somewhat healthy ingredients in your food. Their hero dish, a 10,000 calorie 'Quadruple Bypass Burger' only reinforces the founder's warning and the fact that this food might actually kill you! The HA Grill is extremely liberal with the amount of cheese and bacon it slathers over its behemoth of meaty burger and makes sure you walk out feeling absolutely unhealthy. As you walk into the door of this restaurant you're welcomed by waitresses dressed as nurses with big smiles and big hair. They offer you an arm band and a hospital gown which you must sport through your meal.
Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Maldives Ithaa which means 'mother of pearl' is an underwater restaurant located 16 feet below water. This stunning restaurant gives a panoramic view of the surrounding reef, an elegant six course European menu and is a mecca for style connoisseurs.
Dinner in the Sky, Locations worldwide A table for 22 people is suspended 50 meters into the air offers a breathtaking experience. A fine chef stands aboard with his crew as customers sit buckled to their seats awaiting a delicious meal.
Safe House, Wisconsin This restaurant gives us yet another OMG moment. Wired magazine called this spy-themed restaurant "the Hippest Place on the Planet" and for good reason. A customer can't just walk in. He needs to know the secret code or else as per the bouncer's directions he must do the chicken dance, hoola hoop or anything that amuses bar patrons. Once the customer is seated he receives a mystery and needs to stroll through the Safe House in order to solve it. He could encounter a plethora of James Bond items, a mechanical puzzle or receive instructions in a secret phone booth. This eclectic and crazy set-up is one of the most popular tourist attractions and has been voted so by many local and national magazines. Villa Escudero Waterfalls Restaurant, Philippines This amazing restaurant is at the foot of a magnificent waterfall. Roll up your pants or sport those shorts and experience the thrills of ice-cold water running past your feet.
Ninja, New York, New York This restaurant takes after an 18th century Japanese village and has servers dressed as masked ninjas that bump up the theatricality of the food. Two different ninjas welcome you into the restaurant: one offers a more simple and direct path while the other offers a dark and dangerous one. They've got enough antics up their sleeve to keep customers entertained the entire night!
Dicks Last Resort, Las Vegas and Chicago This infamous restaurant and bar is known for its absolutely obnoxious staff. According to their website, " Dick is an ornery, politically incorrect curmudgeon who dishes out good grub, cold booze, and heaping helpings of sarcasm." Along with messy ribs, catfish and crab legs you get a rude and funny, offensive and amusing restaurant staff.