Looking for something different from the mainstream? Then why not shake things up a bit and check out some of the bizarre and surreal places to eat in London. We pick 10 great places at which you can indulge your quirky side and get a good meal.
Cereal Killer Café Courtesy of Cereal Killer Café
Cereal Killer Café
Cafe, American, British, $$$
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This café is the country’s first to offer 100 cereals from around the world, which can be ordered for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Cereal fans can choose from 30 different toppings and 20 varieties of milk suitable for vegans as well as vegetarians. The café is a shrine to the 1980s; you have Transvision Vamp on the stereo while paintings of fictional serial killers made of cereal hand on the walls.
Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium | Courtesy of Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium
Porridge Café opened in 2015 and is first of its kind in London; it promises to serve porridge-only dishes. There are 25 different kinds of oat dishes, which have been inspired by cuisine from all over the world. This café hopes to encourage Londoners to see porridge as more than oats and water. Toppings range from apple vanilla or hazelnut to more savoury and unusual toppings such as chorizo, beetroot or avocado.
Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium Courtesy of Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium
Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium
Cat and Dog Cafe, British, Vegetarian, $$$
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Lomond’s first cat café lets cats wander around this two-storey spot for coffee and cake, lined with sofas and bookcases. Co-owner Anna Kogan said: “The idea is that you can come and have a peaceful lunch or high tea and be surrounded by cats. If you’re lucky they will fall asleep on your lap.”
This is a Russian-style café which charges its customers according to the length of their stay. Upon arrival each customer takes an alarm clock, write down the time and keep it with them until they leave. The café chargers 3p per minute which means for an hour-long stay you pay just £1.80. There is no minimum time requirement and the café offers unlimited refills and biscuits.
Initially built in 1890s as a men’s toilet, this Victorian building was closed for more than fifty years and eventually restored as a small café and kitchen. Some of the original features have been preserved, including iron and porcelain urinals, which have been transformed into small booths with stools. Amongst other beverages, this tiny coffee bar offers amazing verbena lemon tea, freshly baked food and serves breakfast and light lunch
This tiny gem offers both traditional and alcoholic milkshakes which can be made from either organic or Soy milk. The interior is an eclectic mix of whacky American Diner booths, vintage lamps, posters, and US car plates, all of which go amazingly well with their delicious milkshakes. In true American Diner style there are free coffee refills throughout the day, and during the night you can enjoy wine or beer as the lights go down and music goes up.
Located in Haggerston, this is London’s first board game café. Guaranteed heaven for all board game lovers, there is an extensive library of board games, which can be enjoyed alongside various snacks and drinks, including craft beers and wines. Upon arrival, the customers are charged a cover fee but are also encouraged to bring their own games or buy one to take home.
Frank’s is an architectural project commissioned by Bold Tendencies in Peckham. The bar is only open in winter, and was designed by Practice Architecture and opened in 2008 by bartender Frank Boxer and chef Michael Davies. It is the journey to Frank’s that makes up half the fun; you first have to get into a grimy car park lift and make sure you select the right floor to get to the roof. If you are lucky and choose the right day with the right weather, you will be welcomed by truly amazing views of South London. Frank’s has a selection of dishes suitable for vegans, vegetarians as well as meat eaters, which you can enjoy while drinking at the Campari bar.
The Bunga Bunga restaurant offers great pizza, charcuterie and bruschetta which arrive on little wooden boards in a rustic style. Five of the pizzas bear the names of the women associated with Berlusconi whilst the waiters wear aprons with prints of Michelangelo’s’ status of David. If you are feeling adventurous there is also the Berlusconi cocktail which is served in a Berlusconi head mug. During the day Bunga Bunga is a pizzeria, but in the evening the tables are cleared away for karaoke and late evening transforms the joint into a club.
