Immersive Dining Experiences in London

When it comes to reinventing your dining experience, London restaurants are at the forefront. The best immersive eateries across the city draw on history, geography and storytelling to transform unassuming venues and classic dishes. 

If you’re ready to try something new for your next date night, family dinner or meal out with friends, we’ve curated a list of must-visit restaurants offering unforgettable meals that engage all your senses. Even better, each destination is within travelling distance of the Bloom Nine Elms apartments by underground or train. 

1. Dans le Noir

You’ll often see Dans le Noir ranked among the top 10 most unique restaurants in the world – and for good reason. The venue invites you to dine in complete darkness, heightening your sense of taste, smell and touch. Guided by visually impaired staff, it's a transformative way to experience food unburdened by societal preconceptions about how we should eat, drink and interact with the world around us. 

After resounding success in France, Dans le Noir opened venues in cities across the world. The London restaurant is a short walk from Farringdon and Barbican stations.

2. Frog by Adam Handling

Located in Covent Garden, Frog is the first independent Michelin-starred restaurant that the culinary mastermind Adam Handling opened. Handling has achieved everything from Scottish Chef of the Year to the British Culinary Federation’s Chef of the Year. He remains the youngest person on the list of Caterer’s ‘30 under 30 to watch’ in the 2013 Acorn Awards.  

The service at Frog is as unconventional as the name, blending the luxury of fine dining with immersive theatricality. Here, the chefs aren’t just names you hear or read above the door. You’ll watch them prepare each meal and bring their labour of love to your table, giving you a unique chance to interact with them.

Handling has built sustainability into his menu by sourcing local produce, finding creative ways to use all the ingredients, and even taking his team foraging.  

Catch the underground from Nine Elms to Charing Cross to enjoy playful dishes made from the best British ingredients and a memorable dining experience.  

3. INCA London

Inspired by South America, INCA London is a Cabaret restaurant that harnesses the soulful colours, aromas and flavours that embody Latin culture and cuisine. The open-show kitchen blends traditional and cutting-edge techniques to bring you authentic Peruvian dishes and meats grilled to perfection.  

To top it all off, dinner comes with a show. Watch electrifying acrobats, expressive Samba dancers and talented singers as you tuck into sharing plates. The London shows explore the journey of the Incan people over the centuries in unforgettable technicolour.  

INCA London is in the heart of Mayfair, just a two-minute walk from Oxford Circus.

4. Sketch

At Sketch, you’re encouraged to be as playful with your approach to food as head chef, Pierre Gagnaire. The venue has five different dining locations: the Parlour, the Lecture Room & Library, the Glade, the Gallery, and the Eastbar & Pods. Each restaurant has a different aesthetic, from millennial pink décor to dusky glade murals and even eccentric egg pods in the bathrooms.  The Lecture Room & Library is the most coveted for a table reservation, holding three Michelin stars for its exquisitely crafted menu and meticulous service. 

Sketch is just a fifteen-minute walk from Tottenham Court Road, which you can get to from Battersea Station using the Northern Line. 

5. Coppa Club

Offering beautiful views along the Thames, Coppa Club is a ski-lodge-themed bar and restaurant. There are multiple eateries across London, including in Putney and Tower Bridge. Whichever one you choose, ask for a table in one of three private igloos on the terrace to enjoy scenic, riverside views over well-crafted seasonal food. 

The Putney Coppa Club is reachable from the Bloom Nine Elms London apartments via a train from Vauxhall to Putney station.

6. Barrafina

Originally tucked away in Soho, Barrafina is now one of five open-kitchen tapas bars across Central London. Other locations include Kings Cross, Covent Garden and Adelaide Street. For the most immersive experience, ask to sit at the kitchen bar where you can watch the food made first-hand. The chefs are particularly interactive with guests and the preparation of each dish feels like a performance just for you.

Barrafina is less than half an hour away from Bloom Nine Elms on the underground. Just take the Northern Line from Battersea to Tottenham Court Road. 

7. The Candlelight Club

Transport yourself to the Masquerade clubs and speakeasies of the 1920s with an evening at the Candlelight Club, a secret event that changes location regularly. You won't know where you’ll eat, drink and dance the night away until days before you go.

Wherever you end up, expect jazz riffing between intimate candlelit tables and, of course, a Great Gatsby-themed dress code. Think braces, fedoras and flapper dresses. 

Bloom Nine Elms London Apartments

Bloom Nine Elms is a riverside haven in Zone 1 of Central London, with private studios and apartments up to three bedrooms. 

Whether dining in the dark at Dans le Noir, enjoying the exhibition rooms of Sketch, or escaping to the vibrant Latin American atmosphere at INCA, London’s immersive dining experiences are only a train or tube journey away. 

Discover your sanctuary in the city today.