Top 10 of the most unusual restaurants in New York

If you thought that New York was all about hotdog, donuts and pretzel stands, then you would be wrong. Manhattan is teeming with original and unique dining experiences that could be the proverbial icing on your New York holiday cake. So book your hip and unusual New York hotel and then head out to one of these unusual restaurants in NYC…

Nude Dining – best for the open-minded

This is not for the easily embarrassed but for proud and unabashed gourmands only. Nude Dining NYC is part of the rising trend of ‘clothing optional’ dining. While, there is not necessarily a set location, there are set locations monthly that devote an evening to the wholly nude dining, while the option is there to stay fully clothed if you’re feeling shy. The servers and chefs all wear a full serving uniform in accordance with serving laws- in case you’re wondering! If you’re looking somewhere equally unique to stay in New York we have a guide to the Top 10 Cool and Unusual Hotels in New York.

Les Salonnieres – best for luvvies

This speakeasy-style supper club allows customers to embrace their inner 1920’s persona and knock on the door of this charmingly dilapidated tenement building on the Lower East Side, albeit no password needed. Guests can expect an engaging programme of entertainment ranging from live painting, poetry readings, pottery classes and a photobooth. The set design changes for each event and an enticing menu for the supper club includes oysters, bbq shrimp and king chocolate cake, not to mention a handsome list of bespoke cocktails.

Dirt Candy – inventive plant-based cuisine

Easily one of the most inventive ethical restaurants in town, this gorgeous East Village eatery has quickly become one of New York’s vegan/vegetarian eateries. With stylish surroundings and a very cool and inventive menu – think “hot dogs” with franks made of grilled and smoked broccoli. Also check out their wonderful à la carte menu which includes crowd-pleasing dishes such as jam-filled red-pepper fritters and zucchini pancakes with squash-blossom butter.Oh and not only that but staff are paid a fair wage and are treated well too. Can you spot its halo? Yep, we can too!

American Girl Doll Dining – best for the young at heart

Entry into this pink striped sanctum is the dream of all 4-12 year olds, this 140 seater restaurant on 5th Avenue is inescapably pink with an equally pinky menu including salmon shortbreads and pink scrunchie napkin rings. This is where young women learn the ways of the ladies who lunch, as pink-attired waiters see to their every need. For those who forgot their companions, this US phenomenon has a stash of dolls to accompany their luncheon. At $23 a head, it’s a bargain, educational and unique dining experience for all those budding princesses out there and their mini friends.

• 609 5th Ave  New York, NY 10017, United States

Opaque Dark Dining – best for an experimental experience

This is definitely one of the most unique restaurants in New York! The idea of this concept of dining in the dark is to enhance the senses and was inspired by a European concept. Upon arrival, you are presented with a prix fixe in a brightly lit reception room before being plunged into darkness and a world of sensitivity. The team of visually impaired and legally blind servers offer up a sensuous gourmet meal. In an era of visual overload and heightened visual stimuli, you may never turn the lights on for dinner again.

Jekyll and Hyde Club – best for history fans

Brace yourself for a wholly unique experience – think Disney meets the Rocky Horror Picture Show, complete with moving monuments, talking pictures, faces appearing in mirrors and moving walls. The servers provide excellent service and fully embrace the theme, roaming the restaurant in character and conducting tableside performances. The special effects and theatrical atmosphere is perfect for kids’ birthday parties or group bookings, although slightly pricey, the experience itself is more than worth the price. Also, for those of an edgy disposition- there is a comprehensive cocktail list, perfect for calming those nervous.

• 216 West 44th Street, New York, New York 10036

La Caverna – best for cave dwellers

Like any lair, La Caverna is inconspicuously located between a takeout joint and a dive bar. A hotspot for the after-work crowd thanks to their renowned happy hour, it also attracts a late-night dancing scene but also provides a tasty eclectic menu amidst dangling stalactites, cave paintings, leather upholstery and an illuminated waterfall. Sheltered nooks and crannys give the illusion of decadence and there is something surreal about sipping a Mai Tai watching a plasma screen embedded in a faux rock face wall with stalactites on either side.

• 122–124 Rivington St between Essex and Norfolk Street, Manhattan, NY 10002

Ellens Stardust Diner – best for cheerful waiting staff

Ellen’s Stardust Diner is famous for its team of singing waiting staff (some of whom have gone on to achieve Broadway fame) and is a true Broadway experience for the price of your bill, like ‘Mamma Mia’ with food. The restaurant fully embraces the 1950’s theme and Ellen’s diner is choc-full of retro memorabilia as well as being a tribute to the archetypical food of mid-century America. The menus most popular fare includes old-fashioned chicken pot pie, creamy milkshakes and classic American meatloaf.

• 1650 Broadway  New York, NY 10019, United States

Shopsins NYC – best for a touch of old-school

A 90’s psychedelic menu hides a never-ending list of dishes that are made from scratch for each order, made from an endless supply of ingredients stashed away in the minute kitchen from which, emanates the famously foul-mouthed eloquence of chef and owner, Kenny Shopsin. The restaurant is small- perhaps a 20-seater, located in the Essex Street Market and parties of more than four will not be allowed to enter, nor will you be allowed to use your cellphone. You’ll be waiting a while and the service is not fantastic but the food is out of this world. Ask anyone who’s been there- also, if you’re heading there, save room for the maple glazed donut sliders. A health detriment but worth every clogging artery.

Kajitsu – best for a spiritual experience

This restaurant’s culinary practice is based on the ancient Japanese tradition of Shojin which, spread from the ancient Buddhist monasteries when the religion moved to Japan. The monks themselves insisted on a policy of not causing harm to other creatures but the frugal meal they prepared before their tea ceremony became known as Shojin. Despite the lack of meat or fish, the expertise of the chefs in creating exceptional dishes from vegetables, flowers and rice, ensures you never miss meat or fish. Ironically, the restaurant is located above a tea shop and is lovingly decorated with custom furniture,  restored ceramic teapots and antique Japanese dishware. The atmosphere is open, serene and friendly with an open chef counter, all very zen.

• 25 Hudson St  Manhattan, NY 10013, United States