Hidden away in some of the world's most difficult-to-reach locations are extraordinary restaurants that turn a meal into an unforgettable adventure.
From underwater dining rooms to mountaintop kitchens, these culinary destinations combine breathtaking scenery with exceptional food.
For the most dedicated food lovers, these remote eateries offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are worth every challenging mile of the journey.
1. Ithaa Undersea Restaurant – Maldives
Submerged five metres beneath the Indian Ocean, Ithaa offers a dining experience like no other. Glass walls provide 270-degree panoramic views of vibrant coral gardens and tropical fish that swim curiously past as you eat.
The restaurant seats just 14 guests, serving contemporary European cuisine with Maldivian influences. Reaching this underwater gem requires a seaplane journey to Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort, followed by a short walk along an overwater jetty.
2. KOKS – Greenland
Formerly located in the Faroe Islands, this two-Michelin-starred restaurant has temporarily relocated to an even more remote setting – a lodge beside a fjord in Greenland accessible only by boat or helicopter.
Chef Poul Andrias Ziska transforms foraged ingredients into extraordinary 17-course tasting menus. Think fermented lamb, local seabirds, and obscure sea creatures harvested from icy waters. The restaurant operates only during summer months when the Arctic landscape blooms with unexpected ingredients.
3. The Old Forge – Inverie, Scotland
Fancy a pint? You'll need to take a seven-mile boat journey across Loch Nevis or hike 18 miles through rugged Highland wilderness to reach Britain's most remote pub.
This community-owned establishment serves hearty Scottish fare featuring locally caught seafood and game. The journey's effort is rewarded with spectacular views across the Sound of Sleat to the Isle of Skye, plus the inevitable camaraderie of fellow travellers who've made the pilgrimage to this isolated outpost.
4. El Diablo – Lanzarote, Spain
Atop an active volcano in Timanfaya National Park sits perhaps the world's only restaurant that cooks using geothermal heat. Chefs grill meat and fish over a cast iron grill positioned directly above a volcanic vent reaching temperatures of 400°C.
The restaurant's circular design, conceived by local artist César Manrique, provides dramatic panoramic views of Lanzarote's otherworldly landscape. Volcanic ash fields stretch to the horizon, creating an almost Martian dining backdrop unlike anywhere else on Earth.
5. SnowRestaurant – Kemi, Finland
Carved entirely from ice and snow each winter, this ephemeral restaurant exists for just three months before melting away. Tables, chairs, and even drinking glasses are crafted from frozen water, while reindeer hides provide necessary warmth.
Located within Kemi's SnowCastle complex, the menu features Arctic specialties like smoked reindeer and cloudberry desserts. Temperatures inside hover around -5°C, making this perhaps the only restaurant where your food might actually get colder during your meal rather than warmer.
6. Arctic Bath Restaurant – Harads, Sweden
Floating atop the Lule River in Swedish Lapland, this circular wooden structure resembles a giant bird's nest. During winter, it freezes into the ice; in summer, it floats freely on the water.
The restaurant celebrates traditional Sámi cuisine, serving locally sourced ingredients like Arctic char, moose, and foraged berries. Between courses, brave diners can take a plunge through the centre of the building – a circular opening leading directly into the river below, followed by warming in wood-fired saunas.
7. Refuge Du Plan De L'Aiguille – French Alps
Perched at 2,207 metres above sea level on the flanks of Mont Blanc, this mountain hut restaurant rewards hikers with simple but satisfying Alpine cuisine. Hearty cheese fondue and warming soups restore energy depleted by the climb.
Accessible only by a challenging hiking trail or via the Aiguille du Midi cable car, the refuge offers spectacular views of glaciers and jagged peaks. The restaurant operates year-round, though winter access requires mountaineering skills and equipment to traverse snow-covered slopes safely.
8. Seven Glaciers – Girdwood, Alaska
Named for the seven glaciers visible from its windows, this Alaskan gem sits atop Mount Alyeska, requiring a 2,300-foot ascent via aerial tram. The panoramic views of the Chugach Mountains and Turnagain Arm are worth every metre of elevation.
Chef Aaron Apling-Gilman creates elegant dishes showcasing Alaskan seafood and game. King crab legs, reindeer carpaccio, and halibut cheeks might appear on the seasonally changing menu. Time your visit for sunset, when alpenglow bathes the surrounding peaks in rose-gold light.
9. Treepod Dining – Koh Kood, Thailand
Suspended within the ancient rainforest canopy, bamboo pods offer the ultimate private dining experience. Waiters deliver your meal via zipline, while you dangle 15 feet above the forest floor with views across the Gulf of Thailand.
Part of the Soneva Kiri eco-resort, the menu emphasizes sustainable Thai cuisine using ingredients from the on-site organic garden. The journey to Koh Kood involves a flight to Trat province followed by a speedboat transfer, isolating this experience from Thailand's more accessible tourist destinations.
10. The Rock Restaurant – Zanzibar, Tanzania
Rising from the Indian Ocean atop a craggy outcrop, this seafood restaurant appears to float at high tide, when diners must arrive by boat. At low tide, you can wade through ankle-deep water to reach it.
The tiny interior seats just 12 guests, with additional tables on a wooden deck overlooking the turquoise waters. Fresh-caught lobster, prawns, and octopus feature prominently on a menu that blends Zanzibari spices with Italian influences – a nod to the restaurant's founders.
11. Wolfgat – Paternoster, South Africa
Housed in a 130-year-old fisherman's cottage overlooking the wild Atlantic, Wolfgat seats just 20 diners per service. Chef Kobus van der Merwe gained international acclaim by winning Restaurant of the Year at the World Restaurant Awards despite having no formal training.
The seven-course menu showcases indigenous ingredients foraged daily from coastal dunes and rock pools. Obscure succulent plants, seaweeds, and shellfish create a hyperlocal cuisine found nowhere else. The remote Western Cape location, two hours from Cape Town, adds to the sense of discovery.
12. Fäviken – Järpen, Sweden (Now Closed)
Though permanently closed since 2019, no list of remote dining pilgrimages would be complete without mentioning Magnus Nilsson's legendary Fäviken. Set on a 20,000-acre hunting estate 600km north of Stockholm, it required extraordinary dedication to visit.
Nilsson's 30-course menus showcased ancient Nordic techniques – aging, fermenting, curing – applied to hyperlocal ingredients. Dishes like scallops cooked over burning juniper branches and wild bird preserved in its own fat became culinary legend. The restaurant's remote location embodied its philosophy of extreme localism.
13. Three Chimneys – Isle Of Skye, Scotland
At the end of a single-track road on the remote Waternish peninsula sits a 100-year-old stone croft house that houses one of Britain's most celebrated restaurants. The journey involves crossing the sea to Skye, then navigating winding coastal roads past grazing sheep.
Chef Scott Davies celebrates Skye's natural larder – hand-dived scallops, heather-fed lamb, and foraged coastal herbs. The restaurant's stone walls and peat fire create a cosy atmosphere against the often-wild weather outside. Booking months ahead is essential for this isolated gastronomic pilgrimage.
