It’s Friday night, you and your friends are looking for somewhere to go for dinner and drinks, but you’re tired of the same old sit-down restaurants that you usually hit up.
So, what to do and where to go? We say, jump out of your comfort zone and head to an eatery that thinks a little outside of the box!
There are tonnes of alternative eating experiences in the City of London – exciting places to discover new chefs, taste exquisite food and embrace quirky experiences.
Whether you’re looking for a venue that will allow you to relax and see the sights, get hands-on involved in a game or take your senses to the next level, there’s something for you.
So, we’ve worked out the best – and most unique – eating experiences in and around the City of London. Enjoy!
Murder Express Part Deux: Jewel of the Empire
Grab your friends and hop on board The Murder Express at Pedley Street Station, where you can enjoy a menu designed by Masterchef: The Professionals winner Louisa Ellis, and an immersive murder mystery game. Have fun pretending you’re living in the ’30s and trying to guess ‘who dunnit’ from a host of quirky characters, including yourself…
Certainly, this is one train you won’t want to miss – with delicious dishes like broccoli, nori, miso and butter potato terrine with shitake mushroom sauce, and chocolate cremeux with raspberry drupelets, chocolate ‘soil’, honeycomb and crispy mint. This award-winning event promises to be a theatrical dining experience to remember, taking place over various dates from now until March 2023.
Pedley Street Station E1 5BW
funicularproductions.com
Bustronome London
Unparalleled views of the most iconic sites in the City and further London? Check. Gourmet food, served in up to seven courses? Check. An ambient atmosphere with a great sense of comfort? Check! Book yourself a ticket onto Bustronome – a high-end double decker bus that has been converted into a fine-dining restaurant with panoramic views of the capital. The venue provides guests with the best of everything, combining amazing food and sight-seeing of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
With an array of different menus on offer, catering to a range of dietary requirements and preferences, Bustronome is a must-visit. Choose from their four course lunch menus, or six-course dinner menus. Previous offerings have included tasty treats like sea bass gravelax with creamy turnips and vegetable pickles, apple stuffed brie, aubergine parmigiana, shoe pastry filled with hazelnut ganache Pauline chocolate, and strawberry and ginger pavlova with ginger sorbet. Yum!
Departs from Coach Bay 43, WC2N 6PB
london.bustronome.com
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Mumbai Masala
Theatrical Bollywood escapism at its finest, Mumbai Masala gives you the chance to sample some of Mumbai’s most-loved traditional dishes whilst enjoying cabaret as you’ve never experienced it before.
Brought to you by award-winning writer and director of sell-out West End shows Taj Express and Merchants of Bollywood, Mumbai Masala promises to captivate your eyes, ears and taste buds! The show is performed by three of the lead actors from Merchants of Bollywood, stars of the stage and screen: Arif Zakaria, Sushant Pujari and Carol Furtado, and crafted by leading Bollywood choreographers the Pujari brothers.
A seven-course tasting menu of food will be brought to you throughout the performances, with options like Bombay bubble, lamb kheema, vegetable samosas, dosa waffle, chilli momos, makhani mushroom curry and gulab juman sundae!
A show of spicy, hip-shaking dance, heart-breaking romance and hilarious comedy, all washed down with tantalising drama and delectable food – what more could you want?
Proud City, EC3R 7AH
proudcabaret.com
Dans le Noir?
Do you remember playing ‘hide and seek’ or ‘murder in the dark’ when you were a child? Your ears would seem to pick up even the lightest of rustles and movements; smells would seem stronger, and when you touched things, you were sure you could feel them better. There’s a reason for that. The absence of vision or light heightens all our other senses.
It is this concept – the heightening of one’s senses – that inspired dining experience Dans le Noir? (which translates to ‘in the dark?’). Based in the Clerkenwell district a stone’s throw from the City, Dans le Noir? offers the opportunity to taste gourmet, creative and seasonal cuisine and a variety of wines in complete darkness, accompanied and served by unexpected guides.
Dinner, lunch or drinks in pitch darkness is an original experience that allows us to re-evaluate our perception of taste; it helps us to reclaim our senses, remove judgments made by the eyes and reinvigorate our relationship with the world and other people.
At Dans le Noir?, the gourmet dishes are entirely a surprise, picked from three menus of your choice: The Red Menu (meat-based), The Blue Menu (fish-based) and The Green Menu (plant-based and vegan). If you have allergies or dietary preferences, you simply tell staff what you can’t eat, and they will adapt your chosen menu so that your experience is complete and safe.
Make a booking at Dans le Noir? and challenge your perceptions for the better.
69-73 St Johnn Street, EC1M 4AN
london.danslenoir.com
Burdock
Dinner and drinks just got way more fun, at Finsbury Square’s quirky bar and restaurant Burdock. Sip on a cocktail – we recommend the espresso martini – and enjoy tasty food in a sophisticated yet comfortable setting, whilst challenging your friends to a light-hearted game of shuffleboard. Be warned though – some people take the game very seriously.
Choose from small plates like truffle burrata with warm focaccia and rosemary, flatbread with chickpea or aubergine dip, spicy chicken wings and salt and pepper chilli squid. Or chow down on something bigger, like a margherita pizza, burger with caramelised onions and pickles, tuna niçoise, and roast cauliflower with sweet potato, spinach pancakes and harissa aioli.
Shuffleboard is the ultimate table game, allowing you to challenge your friends and let off some steam after a long day working in or around the City. Pair that with some tasty food and drink and you’ve got yourself a great time out! Burdock offers a unique experience that will have you and your friends returning time and time again.
22-25 Finsbury Square EC2A 1DX
burdocklondon.com
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