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FM
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14 extreme restaurants every adventurer should visit in their lifetime

, Aug. 22, 2017, 5:52 PM, http://www.thisisinsider.com/m...und-the-world-2017-8

PROMO_extremeFrom under the sea to high in the treetops, these extreme restaurants think well outside the dining room. Ithaa Facebook & Redwoods Treehouse

The INSIDER Summary:

  • INSIDER rounded up 14 extreme restaurants around the world that are either dangerous, isolated, thrilling, or a combination of all three.
  • Ithaa in the Maldives is a restaurant 16 feet below the ocean.
  • Thrihnukagigur Volcano in Iceland allows customers to have a private dinner inside a volcano.

Thrill-seeking travelers should not forget that adventure can be found during a sit-down dinner just as much as it can be found trekking through a jungle.

From eating food that was cooked atop a volcano to dining inside a volcano, and from restaurants carved out of ice to eateries carved into a mountain, these 14 heart-stopping culinary adventures take dining to the next level.

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Dinner in the Sky, various locations β€” Dine atop a crane hundreds of feet in the air

Dinner in the Sky, various locations β€” Dine atop a crane hundreds of feet in the air
A Dinner in the Sky event in Jurmala, Latvia in 2015.
Kārlis Dambrāns/ Flickr

Dinner in the Sky is an event series that began in Belgium but has been featured in 45 countries across the world. Customers sit down to a gourmet dinner catered by guest chefs as they're hoisted hundreds of feet in the air by a crane and strapped in with a seatbelt. You can look into hosting an event yourself here.

FM

SnowCastle, Kemi, Finland β€” A hotel and restaurant made entirely from ice and snow

SnowCastle, Kemi, Finland β€” A hotel and restaurant made entirely from ice and snow
SnowRestaurant is inside the SnowCastle, and yes: even the table are made of ice.
Art of Backpacking/ Wikimedia Commons

Built entirely from scratch every year, SnowCastle is open to guests every January through early April. Its on-site SnowRestaurant is the world's largest ice restaurant, and can seat 200 guests. You can dine on soup, reindeer, and lamb inside this breathtaking ice cave where guests are encouraged to dress warmly.

FM

Huashan Teahouse, China β€” The world's most isolated teahouse

Huashan Teahouse, China β€” The world's most isolated teahouse
Several hikers plummet every year to their deaths trying to make this treacherous hike.
strudelt/ Flickr

Perched more than 7,000 feet above sea level atop the most remote peak of China's Hua Mountains is a teahouse that supposedly serves some of the best tea in China. However, unless you're an experienced hiker, you should not attempt to climb the "Heavenly Stairs" that have been carved into the side of the mountain leading up to the teahouse. While potentially deadly for inexperienced hikers, should you make it there after all, you will be rewarded with a traditional tea ceremony served inside an ancient Taoist temple.

FM

El Diablo restaurant, Lanzarote, Spain β€” Cooking on top of a volcano

El Diablo restaurant, Lanzarote, Spain β€” Cooking on top of a volcano
We're not 100% sure that this is safe.
KaHe/ Wikimedia Commons

Forget wood-fire ovens, how about a chef that cooks your meal over an actual volcano ? That's a real dining experience you can have on the Spanish island of Lanzarote. The restaurant is known for its grilled meats, which are carefully cooked over a giant hole in the ground that has liquid-hot magma bubbling underneath. But don't worry: the volcano is dormant... for now.

FM

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Rangali Island in the Maldives β€” An underwater restaurant

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Rangali Island in the Maldives β€” An underwater restaurant
Plunge 16 feet below sea level to dine at this aquatic setting.
Courtesy of Ithaa Facebook

As one of the most expensive restaurants in the Maldives (and for good reason!), Ithaa allows you to enjoy a seven-course, chef-curated meal 16 feet below the ocean with 180-degree views of marine life like stingrays and colorful coral. The restaurant is part of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island hotel.

FM

Grotta Palazzese, Puglia, Italy β€” A restaurant inside a limestone cave

Grotta Palazzese, Puglia, Italy β€” A restaurant inside a limestone cave
This may well be one of the most romantic dining settings in the world.
Photo courtesy of Grotta Palazzese

As part of the Grotta Palazzese Hotel in Puglia, Italy, this restaurant is carved out of a natural limestone cave. The Summer Cave is located entirely outside and is open until October, and features an eclectic tasting menu or a la-carte orders.

FM

Berggasthaus Aescher-Wildkirchli, Switzerland β€” A hotel restaurant built into the side of the Swiss Alps

Berggasthaus Aescher-Wildkirchli, Switzerland β€” A hotel restaurant built into the side of the Swiss Alps
A mountain-side restaurant that has been perched on the side of a Swiss Alps cliff since the 17th century.
ZachT/ Wikimedia Commons

This restaurant cuts into the side of one of the most famous mountain ranges in the world, and has been serving guests for 200 years. You can get there either by trekking up the side of the cliff, or by a less-treacherous 20-minute cable car ride. The Aescher specializes in charcuterie: guests can revel in overflowing boards of meat paired with a 360-degree view of the Swiss Alps.

FM

The Rock, Zanzibar, Tanzania β€” A restaurant perched on a rock in the shallows of the Indian Ocean

The Rock, Zanzibar, Tanzania β€” A restaurant perched on a rock in the shallows of the Indian Ocean
The most accurately descriptive name this shack-like restaurant could have.
Rod Waddington/ Wikimedia Commons

Located just a few feet from the pristine, white shores of Zanzibar is "The Rock," which looks more like a rickety clubhouse than an elevated dining experience. Here you can dine on very freshly caught seafood from the Indian Ocean for about $45 per person. At low tide, The Rock is accessible by walking, but during high tide, you might have to wade a bit.

FM

At.mosphere at Burj Khalifa, Dubai β€” Inside the tallest building in the world

At.mosphere at Burj Khalifa, Dubai β€” Inside the tallest building in the world
Dig into your gourmet meal while perched a dizzying 1,384 feet above the ground.
Photo Courtesy of Burj Khalifa Facebook

Dubai is well-known for its towering skyscrapers, but the mother of all giant buildings is the Burj Khalifa, which was recently crowned the tallest building in the world. At.mosphere is its culinary gem located on the 122nd floor, were you can take in the spectacular views while dining on modern, seafood-leaning dishes.

FM

The Redwoods Treehouse, Auckland, New Zealand β€” A treetop dining experience

The Redwoods Treehouse, Auckland, New Zealand β€” A treetop dining experience
The unique pod-like structure looks almost like a natural extension of the towering Redwoods.
Photo courtesy of Redwoods Treehouse

While it is not available for casual dining, you can host private events inside this unique structure, which was first hoisted nearly 33 feet in the air as part of a Yellowpages marketing campaign. The pod fits 30 guests seated (or 50 standing), and can be rented for a cool $3,000 (food not included).

FM

Thrihnukagigur Volcano, Iceland β€” A private dinner inside a volcano

Thrihnukagigur Volcano, Iceland β€” A private dinner inside a volcano
While the volcano itself is a popular attraction for adventurous tourists, not many know that you can have dinner inside it.
Jonathan Tellier/ Flickr

One luxury dining experience that will cost you a pretty penny ($14,000!) is a personalized helicopter ride over Iceland with a stop at the Thrihnukagigur Volcano, where a gourmet picnic awaits you after a steep descent 400 feet into the heart of the dormant volcano.

FM

The Irish Pub, Namche Bazaar, Nepal β€” A pub located at the base of Mount Everest

The Irish Pub, Namche Bazaar, Nepal β€” A pub located at the base of Mount Everest
It's the last stop before the treacherous journey up Mount Everest.
Photo courtesy of The Irish Pub, Namche Bazaar

What would you want your last meal to be before attempting a perilous hike up the tallest mountain in the world? Adventurers often find themselves downing a pint at the The Irish Pub at Namche Bazaar known as the "gateway to Mount Everest." The pub, which is located deep in the Himalayas, about 20 miles from Everest base camp, is actually a pretty normal dive-y pub, though the clientele may be more weather-beaten than your standard pub regular. The pizza is supposed to be the best in Namche.

FM

La Mesita de Almanza, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina β€” One of the most isolated restaurants in the world

La Mesita de Almanza, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina β€” One of the most isolated restaurants in the world
One of the hardest-to-access islands off the coast of South America harbors a delicious culinary secret.
Photo courtesy of La Mesita de Almanza Facebook

La Mesita de Almanza may not be located on the side of a mountain or inside of a volcano, but it can be found on one of the most isolated islands in the world. Tierra del Fuego is nicknamed "the end of the world," and is one of the southernmost places you can visit on planet Earth. Quiet ferry rides and 75 miles of unpaved gravel roads (with no gas stations along the way) will get you to Almanza, where the town's population hovers around 20, and the fresh seafood is renowned.

FM

Freycinet Marine Oyster Farm, Tasmania β€” Dinner in the water

Freycinet Marine Oyster Farm, Tasmania β€” Dinner in the water
Forget a restaurant with a water view...what about dining right in the water?
Photo courtesy of the Freycinet Marine Oyster Farm

At the Freycinet Marine Farm in Tasmania you can get really up close and personal with your dinner. In fact, a complimentary package includes a lavish oyster dinner in the middle of the oyster farm. Guests trek out into knee-deep waters to dine on the seafood the farm is known for.

FM

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