35 Unusual Dining Settings: Caves, Underwater Rooms and Themed Restaurants

A memorable meal can begin before the first plate arrives. The room, the approach and the view create a mood: sea air at the edge of a cave, fish beyond a curved window or a setting that makes a favourite fictional world feel surprisingly close.

This archive brings together thirty-five dining concepts, from dramatic natural settings to elaborate themed rooms. Five examples receive a closer introduction below, followed by the wider historical collection. Use them to identify the kind of atmosphere you enjoy, then check the actual venue and current offering. A striking photograph alone cannot establish that a restaurant still operates or that its meal will suit your tastes.

1. A sea cave in southern Italy

Grotta Palazzese in Polignano a Mare places tables within a cave setting above the sea. The architecture of the natural space is a major part of the experience. Check the current menu, season, booking terms and access before committing. Our Grotta Palazzese guide helps put the dining room in the context of a visit to the town.

2. An underwater room in the Maldives

Ithaa at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island offers a dining setting below the water’s surface. Ask which sitting or experience you are booking and how it fits with resort access and transfers. The underwater room is a specific venue, not a general description of dining anywhere on the island.

3. A small rock off Zanzibar

The Rock has an immediately recognisable setting near Michamvi. Water levels influence how the approach looks and works, so use the restaurant’s current instructions rather than copying an arrival scene from a photograph. Leave room around the reservation for the journey from your accommodation.

4. A visit to the Green Dragon

At Hobbiton in New Zealand, the Green Dragon is part of a managed film-set experience. Choose the tour or dining product that actually includes what you want; seeing a pub photograph does not mean you can drop in independently at any time.

5. A waterfall-side meal in the Philippines

Villa Escudero’s waterfall restaurant connects the meal with a broader resort visit. Find out how dining is included in the current admission or stay package and whether the setting suits your mobility and comfort needs. The experience has more to consider than the unusual place where the tables stand.

Let the food have a say

Before booking, read the menu as carefully as you study the view. Confirm dietary requirements, what is included and the total commitment for your group. If the occasion matters, ask the venue directly about the detail you care about rather than assuming a particular table or scene is guaranteed.

Then give the meal enough time. An extraordinary setting is easier to enjoy when you are not watching the clock for the next transfer.

The Submarine Pub feature explores another memorable interior, where themed design shapes the atmosphere around the food and drink.

Thirty-five dining concepts, from scenery to theatrical design

The collection includes Grotta Palazzese, ION’s Northern Lights Bar, the Aiguille du Midi restaurant, Giraffe Manor, Ithaa, Hobbiton’s Green Dragon, Ali Barbour’s Cave and Truth Coffee. These opening examples already separate several ideas: a dramatic natural setting, an underwater view, wildlife nearby, a film-world reference and a designed interior.

Kemi’s SnowCastle, The Rock in Zanzibar, a Bora Bora water setting, Labassin Waterfall, the HR Giger bar and El Diablo extend the scenery-and-material theme. Disney’s Sci-Fi Dine-In and Bistrot Chez Rémy sit alongside Alice, Harry Potter and television-inspired cafés as examples of fictional worlds influencing hospitality.

The later entries include Nekobiyaka, Redwoods Treehouse, the Los Angeles Dog Cafe, CuliAir, Walter’s Coffee, Tsavo Lion Restaurant, Dinner in the Sky, the All Men Must Dine pop-up, Bicycle Bar, Street Dinner, Dans le Noir, Café Babo, Hajime, Prison of Fire, Barbie Cafe, The Clinic and Le Refuge des Fondus. Some were temporary events or historical concepts rather than permanent venues.

The Harry Potter café’s location remains unconfirmed despite the Badowl image credit; the Bora Bora water scene also lacks a confirmed venue name. These two entries offer design inspiration rather than identified venues. The thirty-five subjects can still be compared as design ideas: some frame an existing landscape, some create a fictional room, and others depend on a temporary event. That comparison is more durable than a booking checklist. Once a particular concept appeals, the next step is to find the named operator and confirm the experience that is actually offered now.