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Everyone loves superb dining; good food, wine, service and company. But whilst finding the perfect meal can be a serious venture, sometimes the best dining experiences are the most playful, and what better way to lighten the mood than with a well-executed gimmick. For some fun with your food, Hg2 hunts down the best of the bunch.
Nocti Vagus, Berlin
Sick of the sight of your dinner partner? Nocti Vagus could be an option. One of two 'dark' restaurants in Berlin, Nocti Vagus was inspired by a similar venture in Zurich. The underlying premise is that diners eat in complete darkness, hopefully heightening the senses and putting the emphasis on the texture and flavour of the food, as well as giving a momentary indication of what it's like to be blind. All waiting staff are either blind or have partially impaired sight but, contrary to popular misconception, the chefs are not. Diners ease into the experience with a drink in the (lit) upstairs bar, while they decide on their choice of set menu (or boldly opt for the 'surprise' option) and are then led into the restaurant by an assigned carer. Once inside, the balance of dependency instantly switches. Although some diners have been known to panic, for most it's an interesting experience. Many return several times, often with family groups in tow. Special events also take place, including improvised theatre, erotic readings and even a 'crazy night' where, according to organisers, anything can happen. Part social experiment and part fun, a visit to Nocti Vagus is certainly memorable, and the food's not bad either. Wonderful? Yes. Weird? Definitely.
Check www.hg2.com/cities/berlin/ for further details regarding this destination and others too.
For flights to Berlin www.nowfly.co.uk/cheap-flights-to-Berlin.aspx.
Derrière, Paris
Formerly a rag-trade workshop, the third piece in Mourad Mazouz’s hip and charming Montorgueil triptych is unconventional and hilarious. It opened in autumn 2008, behind (hence the name) 404 restaurant and Andy Wahloo cocktail bar, with which it shares the central courtyard. It’s a concept bistro, but don’t yawn – it’s brilliant! It’s meant to be like being in someone’s house, so there’s a ‘living room’ with a ping-pong table and loads of books and CDs, a tatty bedroom upstairs with tables set up along the edge of the bed, and a smoking room that you enter via a wardrobe, a_ la Narnia. It’s great fun, completely irreverent and, perhaps surprisingly, the food is terrific: you might eat artichokes with Espelette pepper jam, grilled turbot with creamy polenta, and millefeuille with vanilla custard. Watch out for ping-pong balls in your tiramisu!
Check www.hg2.com/cities/paris/ for further details regarding this destination and others too.
For flights to Paris www.nowfly.co.uk/cheap-flights-to-Paris.aspx.
Fork, Cape Town
A novel way to eat, with every freshly-prepared dish served in ready-cut bite-size morsels (no knives needed, hence the name), and designed to be mixed, matched and shared – not easy, given that just about every bite is seriously delicious, so make sure you order plenty. It’s housed in a rather lovely venue – an old 18th century two-storey townhouse, now sandwiched between Long Street’s high-rise business blocks. Exposed brick walls, creaking floorboards, an antique fork collection at the base of the stairs and red lampshades dangling from exposed wood-beam ceilings create a rustic atmosphere; even the simple wooden chairs are a throwback to another era, while the dishcloths on the tables are another no-frills touch. But the real treat is the concept: it’s ideal for those of us who suffer from ‘plate envy’, or long for varied tastes but hate buffets.
Check www.hg2.com/cities/capetown/ for further details regarding this destination and others too.
For flights to Cape Town www.nowfly.co.uk/cheap-flights-to-Cape-Town.aspx.
Expeditsya, Moscow
Grabbed by the need for an epxpedition? Then the roaring open fire, stream running beneath the floor, pine tree, canoe and real rescue helicopter that adorn this restaurant, which is packed with locals, should suffice. A photograph album of the latest adventure contains the menu of Arctic/Siberian cuisine, offering traditional food of the northern people – a feast of exotic delicacies such as polar partridge, elk, wild duck, Kamchatka scallop, reindeer, muksun, caribou and even pony with a side order of fried fern. The atmosphere puts you in the mood to try something different – order from the spit or cook it yourself on the heated stone that is brought to your table. Delicious flavoured vodkas of all varieties can only but prepare you for the Salon de Gusto, featuring live jazz music downstairs, or the banya made of pressed cedar cones, for those needing purification. Expeditsya organizes expeditions and picnic feasts to order – if you are after a totally different dining experience, picnics in the countryside with tents, bonfires and spit-roasted meat can be arranged.
Check www.hg2.com/cities/moscow/ for further details regarding this destination and others too.
For flights to Moscow www.nowfly.co.uk/cheap-flights-to-Moscow.aspx.
Bolshoi, Lisbon
‘Quirky’ doesn’t even come close to describing this bizarre backstreet Russian restaurant. Owner Elena Hallin, a singer and multilinguist, came to Lisbon with the intention of opening a dining house to celebrate her culture and bring happiness into people’s lives. It’s an aim she’s certainly achieved. Bolshoi already has a cult following among young trendsetters, who regularly queue for a seat that was most likely rescued from a rubbish tip. A sequin-laden Elena greets guests individually and invites them to leave their troubles at the door. The menu arrives on a torn piece of brown paper bag and generally consists of whatever the kitchen still has knocking about. But people don’t come to Bolshoi for the food. When the mood suits her Elena takes to her synthesizer and entertains guests with a rendition of Russian songs. Her diva-like outfit changes are always met with rapturous applause. It’s vaudeville entertainment of the highest quality. If you’re after a night to remember, there’s no better choice.
Check www.hg2.com/cities/lisbon/ for further details regarding this destination and others too.
For flights to Lisbon www.nowfly.co.uk/cheap-flights-to-Lisbon.aspx.