Unusual Restaurants: Going Beyond Funky Décor

If the most exciting restaurants you've ever been to involved animatronics, greasy pizza, and plastic ball pits, you're missing out on an array of creative dining options. While nothing beats a well-prepared meal with fresh, quality ingredients, atmosphere can greatly add to the experience. If you're tired of just deciding between Italian and Chinese again, it might be time to try something with a bit more pizzazz such as a black-out café or meal made entirely of raw ingredients. Here are some highly conceptual eateries worth checking out.

Black-Out Restaurants:
Eating in the dark doesn't have to be delegated to power outages only. One of the latest trends in dining is blind eateries. Patrons are escorted by a waiter into a completely darkened room, seated, and then served a mystery menu. There's generally a lot of fumbling and some eye poking with forks, but most people find the experience a fun novelty and a great way to test their palates. Don't wear a white shirt though. It's surprising how difficult it can be to locate your mouth when you can't see.

Raw Food:
Most people have tried sushi restaurants, and an even braver populace may have even popped some raw beef into their mouths at one point or another, but few people have the creativity to build a meal entirely based on raw ingredients. There's more to raw eating than a bit of fish and rice. Several specialty cafes have made not cooking food into an art form. It's amazing what can be done with a vegetable peeler, knife...and, well, not much else is necessary. Many raw food menus are vegan-based, but some provide vegetarian and meat options.

Pet-Friendly:
Most people have visited a few outdoor cafes that allow people to tie up their pooches to tables, and even ones that supply fresh water and biscuits, but how many actually allow live animals indoors? In Japan, there are several "cat cafes." Patrons can pay for coffee, and while sipping away can relax by making friends with one of the several kittens that live there. Few people are able to own pets in Japan, due to rental laws, so some savvy business owners saw a unique opportunity. It may not be too long before congested American cities take note and offer customers a bit of animal therapy.

Honest Billing:
Have you ever overpaid for a meal? Felt ripped off by inflated prices for a burnt burger? There isn't much you can do but send it back, and even then you're taking a gamble. However, some restaurants have decided that customers may actually know best when it comes to prices. They trust their customers to decide how much to pay for their meal. There are no fees, and many even allow you to serve yourself whatever portion you'd like. After your finished eating, there is a box near the door designated for payments. Surprisingly, customers are on the whole generous and fair when it comes to setting a price, and there are always a few bighearted diners who make up for the slackers.