Khaizuran RashidHave you ever imagined a meal that goes beyond basic food on a plate? If so, picture dining in a refurbished train car, inside an old airplane, or even aboard a decommissioned tube carriage. Indeed, these five inventive eateries promise a ride where each bite feels like an adventure. So, fasten your seatbelt, and discover how food and transportation can create an extraordinary combo.
Also read: 5 Most Beautiful Fast Food Joints Around the World You Must Visit
1. Kiha: Sipping Sake on a Subway
Image credit: Google Maps
Head to Tokyo, Japan, and unearth Kiha – a bar that reimagines the typical subway experience. Rather than rush-hour silence, this quirky sake bar sets up shop in a stationary train car fitted with vintage handrails, benches, and miniature train models. Here, you can sip on kappu-zake served in a peel-off top glass while nibbling on retro canned dishes. Kiha isn’t just a place to drink – it’s an immersive journey into Tokyo’s subway history.
2. Taupō McDonald’s Airplane: Fast Food Takes Flight
Image credit: Fuwuyuan via Wikimedia Commons
In Taupō, New Zealand, fast food soars to new heights in a repurposed Douglas DC-3 airplane. This 20-seater aircraft, flaunting its signature red paint, has evolved into a playful dining spot. Enjoy your Big Mac in the cockpit, or snap Instagram-worthy photos of the plane’s transformation. Thus, an everyday burger run morphs into an unforgettable trip when you dine inside a piece of aviation history.
3. Orient Express Restaurant: Dining in a Presidential Train Car
Image credit: Joe Mabel via Wikimedia Commons
All aboard in Seattle, Washington, where the Orient Express Restaurant merges a taste of history with delicious cuisine. Housed in an old train car once used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, this establishment blends presidential nostalgia and modern dining. Marvel at original hardwood paneling, vintage fixtures, and even a lamp button once pressed by FDR himself. Meanwhile, a menu of Thai and Chinese dishes delivers flavors as rich as the car’s history, making it ideal for those seeking both heritage and good eats.
4. Supper Club Tube: A Pop-Up Feast in a London Tube Car
Image credit: Supper Club Tube | Official Website
Head over to London, England, and check out the Supper Club Tube. This decommissioned 1960s Victoria line carriage, stationed at the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum, offers a pop-up supper club experience like no other. Chef Beatriz Maldonado Carreño crafts a six-course, Latin American–inspired menu each Thursday to Saturday, surprising and delighting palates. With a curated selection of wines and cocktails, this communal feast encourages socializing in the last place you might expect – a vintage tube car.
5. Colorado’s Airplane Restaurant: A High-Flying Dining Experience
Image credit: Manitou Springs | Official Website
Finally, cruise to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where a Boeing KC-97 tanker has morphed into a premier dining destination. Once built in 1953 for midair refuelling missions, this propeller-driven aircraft now hosts a narrow dining room adorned with vintage aviation maps and memorabilia. Here, you can savour a menu far beyond standard airline fare while perched in the pilot’s seat or admiring the well-preserved cockpit. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that unites aviation thrills with mouth-watering cuisine.
Wrapping Up the Journey
From sipping sake in a Tokyo subway car to dining inside a Colorado-bound tanker, these five restaurants prove that eating can be as adventurous as it is delicious. They redefine everyday meals, inviting you to step outside the norm and embrace a quirky twist on how we eat. So, the next time you crave a culinary escapade, consider boarding one of these unusual venues – you might find the journey just as delightful as the final bite!
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