7 MOST INCREDIBLE UNDERWATER RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS

Image: KTA Public Relations

What could be more inviting than indulging oneself underwater – drinking fine wine, enjoying haute cuisine or simply relaxing in the lap of luxury – while fish swim past and air bubbles float serenely to the surface? Short of restaurants, bars and hotels ensconced on the surface of the moon, entertainment spaces don’t come much more breathtaking. The magic of architectural brilliance and design ingenuity are certainly on the menu for anyone lucky enough to patronize one of these places. Here are seven spaces where vistas of submarine environments open up before the eyes of visitors in the ocean’s depths.

7. Poseidon Undersea Resort, Fiji

Image: Poseidon Resorts

Fiji’s Poseidon Underwater Resort promises “the experience of a lifetime” – and we certainly wouldn’t argue with such a bold claim from a luxury undersea complex featuring a restaurant and lounge as well as over 20 suites, situated in a 5,000-acre (20 km2) coral lagoon. The only thing is – it hasn’t been built yet. While scheduled to be opened in 2008, the project is still in development – but it’s only a matter of time. Nestled in up to 40 feet (12 m) of water, Poseidon will be accessed from the surface via large tunnels – which will also help to maintain air pressure – although one sunken bungalow will require a submarine trip to reach. Each 550-square-foot (51 m2) guest room will offer 270 degree views onto the cerulean sights outside, through thick acrylic windows. It’s said the hotel is being built on land ready to be lowered in stages into the sea. A sub-oceanic paradise beckons – for those who will be able to afford it.

6. Al Mahara, Dubai, UAE

Image: Gryffindor

Billed as “the azure jewel in the Burj Al Arab’s culinary crown”, the Al Mahara (meaning “Oyster”) is a lavish, underwater themed restaurant. Although not actually situated under the sea, it certainly feels as if it is. Guests to this venue, inside Dubai’s iconic 7-star hotel, are seated around a large, cylindrical floor-to-ceiling aquarium, teeming with exotic fish. This acrylic glass tank holds around 990,000 litres (35,000 cubic ft) of seawater and stands as the restaurant’s centerpiece – literally and thematically. The experience starts with a simulated underwater submarine ride from the reception to the dining room – a rather formal destination after the slightly kitsch voyage. It’s all very oceanic, in a plush yet tranquil kind of way and, as dining experiences go, pretty unique. Once named one of the world’s 50 best restaurants, Al Mahara lives up its reputation as one of the must-sees of the Burj Al Arab, completed in 1991. Sleek, inspiring stuff.

5. Jules’ Underwater Lodge, Key Largo, Florida

Image: Jules’ Undersea Lodge

Not a bar or restaurant but one step further, Jules’ Underwater Lodge in Key Largo, Florida is the world’s first underwater hotel. Opened in 1986, this wonder of design and engineering lies 30 feet (9 m) below sea level and can only be reached by scuba diving through the tropical mangrove habitat of Emerald Lagoon. Guests enter through a hatch in the bottom of the cottage-sized structure and soon emerge to find themselves in living quarters fitted with futuristic décor, with comforts ranging from hot showers and a stocked kitchen to music and movies. Then they can curl up in bed and watch the array of fish that approach to peer inside. This retreat began its life as an underwater lab off the coast of Puerto Rico before its conversion into a luxury hotel offering 42” windows on an awe-inspiring underwater world. Compressed air stops water flooding the rooms. An amazing, real deal experience.

4. Utter Inn, in Lake Mälaren, Sweden

Image: Utter Inn

Another underwater hotel, Utter Inn (Swedish for “Otter Inn”) may not hold the luxury allure of Jules’ Underwater Lodge, but for pure quirky charm this strange species of underwater accommodation scores high. Located in Lake Mälaren near Västerås, the structure consists of a typical red Swedish cabin visible above the surface, plus a bedroom 9 feet (3 m) below the water level. Guests are rowed out to this isolated island sanctum and left there. The tiny hotel room cum subaquatic observation station – basically a watertight box – contains twin beds with glass panels just inches away on all four sides offering a view into the fishy habitat outside. While the lake is no tropical paradise, the Utter Inn has the merit of being the brainchild of a local artist. Being so confined may not be to everyone’s taste, but challenging such perceptions is kind of the point – and it certainly makes for a memorable experience.

3. Guinness Deep Sea Bar, Baltic Sea, Stockholm Archipelago

Image: Jump Studio

In terms of pure submarine entertainment design, nothing betters the Guinness Deep Sea Bar, for the simple reason that it’s exactly that – a submarine. Created as part of Guinness’ 2009 250th Anniversary celebrations by Jump Studio, London, the 36-feet-square (11 m2) interior of this custom built vehicle was “a fluid concept, constructed from GRP (glass reinforced plastic), that captures the feeling of being ‘immersed in a dynamic, flowing experience.’” Think being a bubble in a pint of Guinness and you get the idea. The submarine was plunged into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Norway carrying a Belgian competition winner and two friends, who explored the ocean up to 70 m down surrounded by awesome seascapes. The designers had to meet strict marine specs and operational requirements while reflecting the brand statement ‘Alive Inside’. Sipping some of the black stuff, we hope the passengers felt just that!

2. Red Sea Star, Eilat, Israel

Image: Red Sea Star

Sixteen feet (5 m) beneath the waves of the Red Sea is an awesome underwater dining experience. A fantastic example of entertainment design, the Red Sea Star allows visitors to eat while observing the surrounding sea creatures and coral gardens through giant Plexiglas windows, day or night. Colourful fish swirl around outside in a kaleidoscope of colour, and the interior too is inspired by sea life, with everything from the stools to the lighting fixtures in the shape of species such as jellyfish and anemones. The detail of the décor is complemented by soft lighting, designed so as not to disturb the marine life. The Star – so called because of the shape of the floorplan – is accessible via a 50-foot (15 m) bridge and can seat up to 105. Built in 1996, its steel sections were shipped from north Israel, and the whole structure is weighted to the seabed to stop it floating. A “dry diving” experience, at once kitsch and serene!

1. Ithaa, Rangali Finolhu, The Maldives

Image: Alexey Potov

When it comes to subsea eating experiences, nothing touches Ithaa (meaning “pearl” in Dhivehi). Part of the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa, Ithaa was opened in 2005, offering guests the experience of being encased in a clear acrylic tube 16 feet (5 m) below the surface of the Indian Ocean. With 180-degree views, visitors are literally surrounded by fish, sharks and coral reef – so it’s actually as much the sea life watching diners as vice versa! Reached via a wooden walkway and spiral staircase, the 16-by-29 feet (5-by-9 m) restaurant seats 14 people, for an experience intimate yet totally immersed in an underwater world. This unique venue – which takes aquarium technology to a whole new place with its transparent arch – was built in Singapore then transported to the Maldives, where it was sunk. Today, the crystal clear subsea drama seen through Ithaa’s windows is simply mind-blowing.

Source : http://entertainmentdesigner.com/news/restaurant-design-news/7-most-incredible-underwater-restaurants-and-hotels/

10 MOST INCREDIBLE FLOATING RESTAURANTS ON EARTH

Image: James Gagen

Regardless of whether you’re trying to impress a date, having a romantic dinner with your better half or meeting friends for a bit of fun, entertainment dining suits any occasion. And yes, floating on a river or sea definitely falls into that category. We’ve found 10 unusual yet fun floating restaurants – which must cater to their customers while staying above water.

10. The BBQ Donut

Image: bbq-donut

Rather than being a whole restaurant per se, the BBQ-Donut (above) is part of one, namely a floating party table. It is essentially a converted boat, though thankfully with a very quiet motor – but for those wanting some noise, a stereo system is provided. The BBQ-Donut has space for ten people, seated around a barbeque table. The essential drink coolers are stored under the seats and a sunshade provides necessary shelter.

9. Catamaran Dining, Philippines

Image: Viva Pinoy

This converted catamaran provides a dining experience of a truly special kind. Seating a few dozen people, you can float around on the river while enjoying a meal. Unlike on a proper ship, though, you’re still close to the water and therefore the action. The fun-filled shot above was taken in Bohol.

8. Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Hong Kong

Image: Jim Winstead

The exact opposite is the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Hong Kong’s Aberdeen Harbour. As it’s part of the Jumbo Kingdom entertainment park, dining becomes an attraction and being close to the harbor action or the water is secondary. It’s more about seeing and being seen – or at least checking off one of Hong Kong’s must-do attractions. Since its opening in 1971, more than 30 million people have visited the Jumbo, among them Queen Elizabeth II, John Wayne and Tom Cruise. Well then, if it’s good enough for the Queen, we surely can’t give it a miss here.

7. DIY Raft, China

Image: Augapfel

By way of contrast, we have this do-it-yourself raft version of the restaurant that can be seen quite often on Chinese rivers. A few tree trunks as a base, some bamboo poles and tarp and – voila – there’s a floating restaurant. The entrepreneurial operators sell cold drinks as well as barbecued food. Don’t miss the inviting chair, advertising dinner for one!

6. Mary Mouse Lightship, UK

Image: Christine Matthews

The “Mary Mouse” is a former lightship that is now permanently docked at Haslar Marina in Gosport, Hampshire. We like the bright green color – and of course the fact that it is now a floating bar and restaurant!

5. Meridianas, Klaipėda, Lithuania

Image: Ziedas

The owner of this beautiful old wooden sailing ship had a similar idea. Now docked at the banks of Klaipėda’s canal in Lithuania, who could resist visiting, especially on such a bright and sunny day?

4. Noah’s Arc, Germany

Image: Bruhl

What looks like a floating house is in fact a restaurant floating on pontoons in Wiesbaden, Germany. Called Noah’s Arc II, it suggests safety and does look very calm and inviting. But don’t be fooled – Noah’s Arc I, its predecessor, sank twice and finally had to be wrecked. Still, hoping for an improvement in construction, we’d probably risk it.

3. Floating Houseboat, India

Image: McKay Savage

The south Indian state of Kerala advertises itself with this floating houseboat, which almost looks more like an arch. It’s a mini restaurant with a kitchen, lounge and home all in one. Cozy and perfect for those lazy vacation days spent cruising along the river. Even the blue tarp doesn’t tarnish the romantic image much. If only those pesky mosquitoes didn’t have their own interpretation of a floating meal…

2. Nymphea, France

Image: Gloverepp

Few ships will allow its guest such a scenic dining experience as this old barge, plying along the River Cher in France’s Loire Valley. Built in 1921 according to Dutch design, the Nymphea used to carry cargo along European canals until 1985, when she was converted into an entertainment ship. Her current function as a floating restaurant seems predestined as the old barge used to carry hops and barley for a Rotterdam brewery, returning with bottles and barrels of beer. Today, those who have eaten or drunk too much can simply go below deck and sleep it off as the Nymphea is also a luxury hotel.

1. Floating restaurant, Georgia

Floating Restaurant in Georgia's Capital, Tbilisi

Image: ImposterVT

This maritime floating restaurant in white and blue can be found on the Kura River in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi (formerly Tiflis). A cruise alongside the picturesque city’s riverside reveals that Tbilisi is shaped like an amphitheater and is surrounded by mountains on three sides – with the city spread out over both banks of the river.

Have you made up your mind which one’s your favorite? We’re not sure; we like them all and will keep our eyes open for more!

Source http://entertainmentdesigner.com/news/restaurant-design-news/10-most-incredible-floating-restaurants-on-earth/

Tree Restaurants

Japanese Tree Restaurant

Source : http://www.offbeatearth.com/japanese-tree-restaurant/

Tree house restaurant

Suspended 10 metres up a giant redwood tree and struggling to cope with a flood of bookings, New Zealand’s world-first Yellow Treehouse restaurant opened for business today (9 Jan 2009).

Diners wanting to check out the latest in haute cuisine have been quick to reserve tables in the ‘billion-star restaurant’ - an architectural whimsy resembling a cocoon wrapped around the tree trunk - with spectacular views from its forest perch just north of Auckland.

The online booking service was overloaded when it opened. There were no vacancies for the first weekend, and evenings were booked out for the month with a few lunch-time vacancies remaining, a spokesman said.

Limited season
While the tree house restaurant is open for a limited season - 9 January to 9 February - an extended opening period is under consideration.

The restaurant offers a banquet-style lunch and dinner daily for groups of four to six diners. Diners are advised to bring warm clothes as "it can get a bit chilly up there".

Marketing campaign
First conceived as a marketing campaign, the restaurant was completed in just 66 days, using the Yellow Pages to find and contact all those involved in the project.

Since construction began, the project has attracted huge interest, with visitors including school classes and architecture students. Online viewers following progress on the website blog have made enquiries and booking requests from all over the world.

Tree house restaurant

Source : http://forum.xcitefun.net/tree-house-restaurant-t32714.html

Hotel Soneva Kiri in Thailand

Hotel Soneva Kiri in Thailand offers tourists a comfortable restaurant space located in the trees. Waiters serve the tables, hanging at a height of five meters, going on the rope “tracks.”

Source : http://formyhour.com/restaurant-in-a-tree

Trout Tree Restaurant

COMING FROM NAIROBI, the great road north winds its way through the rich farmland once called the white highlands. “White,” of course referring to the settlers of the early last century that had made their homes here.

Before there was barely a road they made their way in ox wagons loaded with all their worldly possessions of which there were few. They all had dreams in their young heads strong enough to keep them pushing forward to an uncertain future.
When the rains struck suddenly the small caravans would get stuck in the mud, delayed for days on end. There were no doctors to tend to their fevers or assist the young mothers in childbirth. No guards against attacks by "natives" whose land they were trespassing on without permission. Not unlike the American "wild west" perhaps, but for the wild animals that also roamed the land.

The plains outside Nairobi were lined with Gazelles and Giraffe in the thorny outcrops. The mighty Aberdare and Mount Kenya forests hid Elephant and Buffalo in great numbers. Leopard sightings were not rare. Sudden charges by an enraged Rhino or a rogue Buffalo were all in the order of the day.

Today the traveler has dreams of a different kind. From the comfort of their radio equipped Safari Vehicle they travel a "civilized road" lined by bustling markets that have their own African charm. The once feared inhabitants of the land are every where, extending Kenyan hospitality way beyond their means should you brake down.

There is no longer danger from the wild animals that have retreated way into the interior of the forest often only revealing themselves at night.

After the provincial headquarters town of Nyeri, the land gradually flattens out onto a high plateau known as the Laikipia. Mount Kenya reveals itself to one side and the mighty Aberdare Range to the other. The land in-between is mostly arid high altitude Ranchland. The air is clean and fresh and the light intense as you near the Equator on the southern side.

Just as your mind warms to the idea of a cool drink and your stomach begins to grumble you will see an unusual sign, carved in the shape of a "naked" fish, announcing the…

The Trout Tree Restaurant

Down a stony pass, you find what you least expected on these dry plains, a green spot by the Burguret River. The "restaurant" is cleverly built into an old fig tree.

Once seated you are shaded by the tree enjoying a cool breeze and even cooler beer or wine. They keep it in crates in the icy waters of the river. Every time you order, the crate is hauled up with a rope.

The trout you eat couldn’t be more fresh. You can see them jumping in the ponds and the River below the tree…

The menu is simple offering several variations of Trout but also Lamb and Salads, all followed by fresh strawberries.

For a starter, try the Salmon Trout Sashimi. It is worth waiting for as they first catch the trout for this. I doubt you have ever eaten better.

For a main dish I highly recommend the barbequed whole trout, simply but expertly grilled over an open wood flame.

If you still have room for desert, there are always fresh strawberries from the home farm topped by fresh full rich Kenya cream.

A wonderful meal with no preservatives. All the ingredients are grown right on the Trout farm, where you sit.

While you indulge in the culinary delights you may witness a visit of some of our Orphanage graduates. A troupe of some 15 Colobus monkeys that we released in the forest have found their way to the Trout farm where they sometimes come for the juicy leaves, playing and watching the humans below.

The Trout Tree is the sort of Restaurant that has disappeared mostly in the civilized world,
Don’t miss it.

Source : http://www.animalorphanagekenya.org/fun-stuff/safari-sampler/trout-tree-restaurant/

Source: http://www.mydestination.com/kenya/restaurants/169727/the-trout-tree-restaurant

TREE RESTAURANT CELEBRATES JAPANESE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Interior View of TREE Restaurant by Koichi Takada

Koichi Takada’s TREE Restaurant, also known as Sushi Train Sutherland, in Sydney, Australia explores the natural themes and forms that first began to take shape in his CAVE Restaurant. On Koichi’s website, he states that what he is trying to do with these designs is “dissimulate architecture to the point of erasure.” We find this goal intriguing because so much of the design and architecture that passes through this website demands to be noticed. This is not to say that one method is better than the other; they are just different approaches to organizing an experience. For example, the last project we wrote about, Olafur Eliasson’s “Your Rainbow Panorama,” with its rainbow colored glass, continuously changes the visitor’s perception of the city it looks out on. In the TREE Restaurant, Koichi Takada creates a very specific atmosphere, but attempts to do so without drawing too much attention to the architecture itself.

Koichi Takada’s practice focuses on design that blurs the boundary between architecture and nature. The inspiration for the TREE Restaurant’s design is Hanami, the traditional Japanese celebration of blooming cherry trees. Every spring, when the trees begin to bloom, people gather underneath the canopy of blossoming flowers to enjoy the beautiful sight, as well as good food and drink. Diners at the TREE Restaurant are seated beneath one large “tree” that rises up in the middle of the restaurant and branches out toward the perimeter. Meals are prepared behind a sushi train and bar running around the base of the tree, so that staff and guest alike share the celebratory space.

Detail of TREE Restaurant by Koichi Takada

Detail of the tree structure

The louvered tree structure that spreads out over the restaurant is made up of a series of thin timber profiles. Each profile was cut to precise dimensions using CNC technology that allowed the fabricators to minimize waste. Instead of emphasizing the bifurcating structure of tree branches, Koichi’s design is as minimal as possible while still evoking the presence of a tree. It should be noted that this is not the first time we have seen trees incorporated into a building’s design; The Tote, by Serie Architects, features numerous tree shaped posts that are much more complicated in their design than Koichi’s. The simple curves of Koichi’s design relates back to his aim to “dissimulate” the architecture. This dissimulation even effects how one writes about the design. Describing The Tote was much easier because the posts have so many more features, but this project provides much less detail to latch onto. Yet, it is this lack of detail that Koichi hopes will create an authentic atmosphere of Hanami as opposed to an architecture that is trying to simulate it.

To complete the effect that one is dining under the canopy of a tree, the lighting was designed to mimic sunlight filtering through branches. The spotlights hidden within the canopy of timber dapple the surface of the wood and flicker as one moves around the restaurant. The only thing missing here is the cherry blossoms themselves. To see those, you’ll have to visit the real thing in Japan.

Source : http://entertainmentdesigner.com/news/restaurant-design-news/tree-restaurant-celebrates-japanese-cherry-blossom-festival/

Tree Tops Restaurant Koh Samui

Tree Tops Restaurant Samui

Das Menu

Tree Tops Restaurant Tisch (noch nicht gedeckt)

Source : http://www.leckerbisschen.de/koh-samui/tree-tops-restaurant-samui.html

10 Unusual and Creative Restaurants

June 20th, 2009 | Inspiration |

Collection of unusual restaurants that provide unique dining experiences.

Dinner in the Sky

Dinner in the Sky is hosted at a table suspended at a height of 50 metres. It accommodates 22 people around the table with three staff members in the middle (chef, waiter, entertainer). [link]

Hospital Restaurant in Latvia

The restaurant looks like a medicine cabinet and the food is served in flasks and operating-room’s dishes. In addition, the customers can be tied up in straight jackets. [link]

In The Dark Restaurant in London

Dans Le Noir restaurant in London employs blind waiters who lead customers to and through the pitch-black dining experience. [link]

Ice Restaurant in Dubai

Chillout is the first ice lounge in the Middle East where everything from decoration, furniture and teacups is made from ice. [link]

Toilet Restaurant in Taiwan

Creative restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan with modern decor and full-on toilet theme. [link]

Ninja Restaurant in New York

The only restaurant in the world where Ninjas serve you. [link]

Greenhouse Restaurant in Amsterdam

De Kas restaurant in Amsterdam, Netherlands is located in a greenhouse, where they grow their own vegetables. [link]

Prison Restaurant in Tokyo

Alcatraz is a prison themed restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. The patrons are escorted to their “cells” before they are served cocktails named “Lethal Injection”. [link]

Underwater Restaurant in Maldives

Beautiful underwater restaurant secured 5 metres below sea level at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa in Rangalifinolhu, Maldives. The restaurant has a capacity of 14 people and is encased in transparent acrylic roof offering 270° panoramic view to its customers. [link]