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The Remote Restaurants Worth the Journey, From Floating Fjords to Volcanic Grills

From undersea dining and geothermal cooking to boat-only pubs and Arctic tasting menus, these restaurants turn inaccessibility into part of the experience.

With culinary tourism on the rise, bucket-list dining has continued to dominate travel itineraries in the most established gastronomic cities. But while any amateur foodie can experience the usual Michelin-starred restaurants of Paris, Healdsburg and Tokyo, several of the world’s most unique fine-dining restaurants demand more than a hard-to-get reservation. At these ultra-remote restaurants, inaccessibility is about more than an elusive dinner slot—it’s about actually managing to physically access the eatery. 

While remoteness can be rather inconvenient, these isolated restaurants make dining feel like both an accomplishment and an adventure, all in one. Some can exclusively be reached by boat, while others are only found at the end of a two-day hike, building anticipation with every step (or nautical mile). 

Most importantly, this isolation creates an authentic connection to the land that is otherwise difficult to find in our overly connected world, whether that is atop a snow-capped mountain in Austria or on a secluded coral outcrop in Zanzibar. These culinary establishments defy norms, allowing guests to indulge in the rare privilege of having untouched nature as the ultimate backdrop. From a floating structure on top of one of Norway’s largest fjords to an atrium-like eatery that sits within Spain’s Timanfaya volcanic fields, these remote restaurants show that the most unlikely setting can result in the most unforgettable meal.

The Remote Restaurants in the World Worth the Trek

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant

The Rock Restaurant Zanzibar

SJ, Vei 300, Longyearbyen 9170, Svalbard & Jan Mayen

As the northernmost restaurant in the world, Huset offers a bucket-list dining experience just 800 miles from the North Pole; it’s the closest you can get to dinner with Saint Nick himself. Surrounded by glaciers and frozen fjords, the restaurant is pretty much in the........

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