12 Of The World's Most Extreme Restaurant Locations

The Tree Pod – Thailand

The Tree Pod is part of Soneva Kiri, a chic eco-resort located on the Thai island of Koh Kut. Up to four diners are seated in a bamboo pod which is hoisted 16 feet into the foliage of an ancient rainforest. Inspired by the appearance of the surrounding rainforest, the pod is made from woven rattan and resembles an enormous coconut hanging from the tree tops. Guests can enjoy picturesque views of the rainforest and the nearby sandy beaches. Pre-ordered dishes are delivered by personal servers using a zip-line.
The Treepod, Soneva Kiri Resort & Residences, RO Pho Cho Trat 4107 Rd, Ko Kut, Ko Kut District, Trat, Thailand +66 39 619 800

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The Rim – United States

The Rim is a fine dining restaurant set within Volcano House, Hawaii’s oldest hotel. The restaurant is positioned on top of the Kilauea Caldera, offering dazzling panoramic views of the Halema’uma’u crater. The view is particularly impressive at sunset, when diners can catch a glimpse of an orange glow rising above the crater rim which is created by molten lava. The restaurant menu highlights locally sourced meat, veggies, and seafood, including wild mushrooms and sweet potatoes grown on the Hamakua Coast.
The Rim, Hawaii Volcano House Hotel, 1 Crater Rim Drive, Volcano, HI, United States +1 808 756 9625

Ithaa – Maldives

Named ‘the most beautiful restaurant in the world‘ by the New York Daily News in 2014, Ithaa is the world’s first undersea restaurant. Part of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort, the restaurant takes its name a word meaning ‘mother-of-pearl’ in the Maldivian language of Divehi. The restaurant is set 16 feet below sea level, accessible via a staircase surrounded by a thatched pavilion. With all-glass walls, the restaurant offers dinners stunning 180 degree views of the surrounding coral gardens, as well as colorful fish, sharks, manta rays, and other aquatic life.
Ithaa, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Rangali Island, Rangali, Maldives +960 668 0629

Ithaa Restaurant, Maldives © Christian Jensen/Flickr

At the Villa Escudero Resort in San Pablo City, guests can dine at the base of a powerful waterfall. The resort’s Labassin Waterfalls Restaurant features bamboo tables set in a few inches of spring water, allowing diners to soak their feet while admiring the impressive adjacent waterfall. Open for lunch only, the restaurant offers traditional Filipino dishes served buffet style. The waterfall provides a refreshing relief from the country’s humid climate, and many diners relax after their meal by lying against the tumbling water.

The Airplane Restaurant – United States

The Airplane Restaurant is set inside a grounded 1953 Boeing KC-97 tanker, accommodating up to 275 between the plane itself and an attached building called ‘the terminal.’ Inside the plane, seating is offered in booths along both sides of the central aisle. The plane’s left wing projects into the terminal seating area, which is decorated with aviation-related artifacts, including hundreds of photos. Patrons are free to explore the plane, including the cockpit, where it’s possible to sit in the pilot seat and try out the dials.
The Airplane Restaurant, 1665 Newport Rd, Colorado Springs, CO, USA +1 719 570 7656

The Airplane Restaurant, Colorado Springs © Dave Dugdale/Flickr

The Ristorante Grotta Palazzese is built inside a limestone cavern overlooking the blue-green waters of the Adriatic Sea. Constructed 74 feet above sea level, the restaurant offers amazing views of the sea. Part of the Grotta Palazzese hotel, dinners for local nobility have been hosted in this secluded cavern since the 18th century. Located in the province of Bari, the restaurant is open only in the summer from May to October. It offers an ever-changing menu, with a focus on fresh seafood.

LumiLinna SnowCastle Restaurant – Finland

Located in the Finnish city of Kemi, the LumiLinna SnowCastle Restaurant is sculpted entirely from ice and snow. The restaurant is part of the larger SnowCastle, which also includes a SnowHotel and SnowChapel. Open from January to April, the restaurant is reconstructed each year using a special set of molds, and the interior temperature is always around 23° F. Patrons sit at tables made from ice, on chairs made from tree stumps covered with reindeer- and sheepskin.
LumiLinna SnowCastle Restaurant, Kauppakatu 29, Kemi, Finland +358 16 258878

LumiLinna SnowCastle Bar, Finland © arcticroute.com

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge Restaurant – Tanzania

The fine dining restaurant at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is built on the edge of the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera. The restaurant’s wide terrace offers fantastic views of the grassy crater below, with wildlife ranging from big cats to wildebeests often visible with binoculars. The interior features a central fireplace and walls decorated with prehistoric cave paintings. The menu focuses on Pan-African dishes, with most of the meat, dairy, and veggies sourced from communities surrounding the conservation area.
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge Restaurant, Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge Restaurant, Tanzania © Roderick Eime/Flickr

Redwoods Treehouse – New Zealand

As its name suggests, the Redwoods Treehouse is set in a 30-foot-tall redwood tree in a forest near Auckland. Designed by New Zealand-based Pacific Environment Architects, Ltd, the treehouse was originally commissioned as part of the marketing campaign for the Yellow Pages phone directory. It’s now open permanently for private parties, weddings, and corporate events. The restaurant’s pod-like shape appears to wrap naturally around the tree trunk. Diners access the restaurant via an elevated walkway made from redwood milled on the site.
Redwoods Treehouse, 1415 State Highway 1, Warkworth, New Zealand

Redwoods Treehouse © Kirt Edblom/Flickr