When eating out, what is on the plate can be a spectacle in itself, but it's only one ingredient in ensuring a truly memorable meal. The destination, atmosphere and interiors all play a crucial part in setting the scene, and can sometimes even inspire the ethos behind the menu. Here, we take a look at some of the UK's best restaurants that offer top-class dining in far-from-usual surrounds.
108 Garage
If you want a table at critically acclaimed new opening 108 Garage in Westbourne Park, you'll need to plan ahead – the restaurant is normally booked up months in advance. Set on the site of a former garage reflected by a subtle industrial feel, the building's former life has additional meaning for founder Luca Longobardi. For him, it represents a place of research and repair, a sentiment expressed through its innovative, daily changing menu devised by head chef Chris Denney. Watch this space, as the duo have their sights set on expanding to a laundry in New York, a hardware store in LA and a pharmacy in Miami in the future.
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While eating your lunch in a public toilet might not be the most appetising prospect, don't let it deter you from a paying a wee visit to Attendant. The former Victorian lavatory in Fitzrovia has been converted into a quirky cafe that serves some of the best coffee in the city, as well as homely food from a kitchen headed up by Michelin-starred executive chef Peter Gordon. Its original features have even been cleverly turned into interior design focal points, such as the original Doulton & Co. porcelain urinals that mark out the seating area.
Opened in 1886, The Norfolk and Norwich Subscription Library was the first institution of its kind in the UK. Gutted by a fire in 1898, the now Grade II-listed building was restored and reopened in 1914 before its eventual closure in 1976. In recent years, it has found a new lease of life as a dining destination and art gallery, suitably decked out in rich oak panelling and floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Visitors can enjoy the locally sourced food in the grand surrounds of the main dining room, or opt for al fresco dining in the courtyard.
As the name suggests, this restaurant sits within the historic home of the gardener who would have once tended the impressive grounds of the Royal Terrace Gardens in Calton Hill, part of Edinburgh's Unesco World Heritage Site. Described by Jay Rayner as "too good to be true", this quaint destination offers simple, seasonal and social cooking, served at long communal tables that inspire convivial conversations over the six-course evening menu.
The Gardener's Cottage, 1 Royal Terrace Gardens, London Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5DX; thegardenerscottage.co
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