Apparently, eating with a smile on your face aids digestion. Although smiling doesn't necessarily aid the act of eating, itself; especially if you're guzzling soup... surely it'd dribble out everywhere?
Anyway, happy eater: happy belly. So we've come up with a raft of venues where enjoyment and fun is all part of the big, culinary idea... from hands-on involvement, to natty side-show entertainments, enjoyable surroundings, themes and more...
We present our guide to The Most Fun You Can Have Whilst Eating in London... (with your clothes on)
The most fun you can have whilst eating in London
When the act of eating just isn’t enough, the interactive tables at Inamo provide games like Battleships as well as changes to the colour and pattern of your surroundings. You can even peer into the kitchen with the chef cam and check your travel options home. Ideal if you happen to be on a particularly boring date.
Circus is not for the faint of heart. While the cabaret and burlesque acts are not necessarily that risqué, performers have a tendency to appear very close to your table, or in the case of the main central table, on it. If you’ve always wanted to watch flame-throwers and acrobats while eating gyoza and sushi, this is the perfect spot.
If you’re undecided about opera, Bel Canto is something of a starter package. The waiting staff are trained opera singers and every fifteen minutes they offer renditions of classic pieces such as Carmen and La Boheme. Like their site in Paris, the menu has simple French dishes.
This Battersea haunt takes its name from the infamous sex parties hosted by Italy’s inexplicably successful ex-prime minister. There are no sexual shenanigans taking place here but there is karaoke, cabaret and performances by Elvis impersonators. Berlusconi is not the only Italian symbol they poke fun at, the Sistine Chapel, vespas and the Venetian gondolas are all represented.
At some point in 2012 ping pong became cool, leading to the opening of venues like Bounce,where table tennis, cocktails and pizza meet under one roof. The team can even put together a video of the highlights of your game, Match of the Day-style.
There’s nothing like having a good old yodel after a hearty meal of schnitzel, at least that’s what they believe at Austrian restaurant El Tiroler Hut. They take on alpine dining with camp enthusiasm, with staff dressed in dirndls and lederhosen and oompah music. Diners are encouraged to join in the yodelling, not before consuming liberal quantities of gluhwein naturally.
Take an old butcher’s shop bang in the middle of Soho, add a counter displaying oysters, langoustines, scallops and other sea-dwelling goodies, a disco ball, pumping house music, and what do you have? The capital’s coolest seafood restaurant, since 1996.
Belly dancing is a bit like Marmite: generally you either love it or loathe it. If you find the sight of women gyrating their hips to Middle Eastern music embarrassing then avoid Maison Touareg from Thursday to Saturday, or head to the shisha terrace where alcoholic varieties like champagne shisha are served. It’s open till late, so you can eat, drink, smoke and dance till 3 am at weekends.
At Flesh & Buns the signature dish are the Taiwanese-inspired steamed buns, which you then fill yourself with your choice of meat or fish. Customising food is a hugely enjoyable way to experience a restaurant, and even better, they do s’mores, the US campfire favourite. Here you get to toast them at the table, so you can experience the best ofs camping without having to brave the outdoors.