9 Must-Visit International Restaurants In The Middle Of Nowhere
Christian’s Café, Pitcairn Islands
Christian's Café is said to be the only real restaurant on the Pitcairn Islands (population: 50) in the South Pacific Ocean; it's only open on Fridays and visitors must bring an alcohol permit with them in order to drink. Talk about remote. If you do make it to the South Pacific island, which is a famous site of shipwrecks and once was a stopping point for mutineer pirates, you'll experience a history-rich walk past caves, lagoons filled with sharks and poisonous fish, whirlpools, burial sites, spectacular coastline views, and the Bounty Bay site where a ship was burned by mutineers in 1790. Eventually you'll hit Christian's, and if you're in luck it will be Friday, you'll have a liquor permit, and you'll be able to enjoy beer, wine, freshly baked goods, and local fish.
Fäviken Magasinet, Järpen, Sweden
Farm-fresh is the lure at this remote Swedish restaurant, located on the expansive farms at the foot of the stunning Jämtland mountains in an untouched 20,000-acre reserve in a locality of about 1,400 people, so the menu's seasonal changes focus on enhancing the flavors of vegetation in its peak. You can also expect fresh game and a cupboard full of condiments that are jellied, pickled, and salted in-house according to traditional methods. Don't worry about the exact menu items; they constantly change, and each unique dining experience includes 20 courses or so, almost 30 if you count the random bites and snacks served before, during, and after the main meal.
Mount Huashan Restaurant, Mount Huashan, China
In a country of over a billion people, it's hard to find anything — let alone a restaurant — that's in the middle of nowhere. In that case, what did China do to make this list? They put a restaurant on the top of a mountain. No, not the kind of mountain you can drive up; the kind where you need to ascend a steep rock staircase called "the heavenly stairs" (probably because so many people have turned into angels trying to climb them), which has few or no handrails, then take a gondola that transports you far above the insta-death below, and finally walk a short path. No, we're not done yet. The path gets tighter and tighter before turning into thin sections of plank that have been haphazardly nailed to the side of a mountain, with only that and a length of chain separating you and a fall that will likely last for days. Seriously, I'm getting vertigo just looking at the pictures and videos. At the top, there's a tea house and restaurant, which apparently offers free meals to climbers. What do they serve? Does it even matter?! If you made it up there alive that's reward enough.
Nordasti Hagi, Faroe Islands
In the middle of the ocean, between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, in the Faroe Islands (population: 50,000), on the island of Sandoy (population: 1,500), outside of the village of Sandur (population 600), there's a small restaurant that can only be reached driving an off-roader on a trail, then a stream, then a rocky path of moorland, and then by taking a 20-minute walk. Finally, you'll find yourself at the rustic Nordasti Hagi, a restaurant loved by locals (and almost exclusively locals, because who else makes it here that often?) Inside the 100-year-old farmhouse, you'll post up at a kitchen table with a bottle of wine while you wait for lamb to be cut and prepared just for you. The meal is served with homegrown turnips and angelica and capped off with a rhubarb tart. You can definitely expect a delicious meal here, but do not expect a real bathroom. Or an easy trip home.
Parkers Arms, Newton-in-Bowland, England
Parkers Arms is a well-known institution in parts of northwestern England. It may be located in a village (Newton-in-Bowland) in a civil parish of only 315 people, where it occupies a historic building that was built in the mid-to-late eighteenth century and formerly served as stables for the nearby Newton Hall. But Parkers Arms is a fantastic gastropub that constantly wins local and country-wide honors and awards. The menus change often — sometimes twice daily — depending on seasonality and availability, but you can always expect pub staples like fish and chips, hamburgers, and lots of fresh-baked brown bread, along with more unique options like mushroom parfait, black pudding sausage rolls, and lamb brochette — with everything prepared on site. Feeling tired after all that eating and drinking? The Parkers has four guest rooms for rent upstairs.
The Howden Room, New Zealand
So many of the world's most stunning waterfront destinations boast at least a handful of all-inclusive resorts, maybe a private airport nearby, and definitely road access to neighboring towns or resorts. Anyone sick of having to share his or her ocean view should head to New Zealand's Furneaux Lodge, which is accessed solely by ferry boat and is ensconced by 2,000 acres of lush greenery behind it and bright blue water before it. The 100-year-old lodge is located in the Marlborough region, which boasts a population of 45,300, over 30,000 of whom live in the capital of Blenheim — a couple hours away. The remaining 15,000 are scattered around the remaining 12,000 square kilometers, with only a few calling the area around Furneaux home. The lodge's restaurant, The Howden Room, is open seasonally from October until May, and serves dishes using some of New Zealand's finest produce, like king salmon gravlax, chile coconut lime mussels, hapuka fillet, rack of lamb, and venison loin, which are complemented by fresh local berries, olives, and olive oils. The neighboring (and related) Furneaux Bar offers similar cuisine, and is similarly impressive.
The Old Forge, Scotland
The Old Forge is a beloved establishment that draws locals and visitors from across the world who are intrigued by the pub's Guinness World Records listing as "The Remotest Pub" on mainland Britain. There are no roads in, so expect an 18-mile hike or a seven-mile boat ride to the village of Inverie, Scotland (population: 70). Once you get there, though, you can indulge in homemade beer-battered haddock and chips or, for lighter fare, try the Loch Nevis mussels steamed in white wine and fresh bulb garlic served with crusty bloomer bread. Try some local brews, or else a Guinness, or choose from the many gins, ciders, and other spirits offered.
The Three Chimneys, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye, Scotland
What's this? Two restaurants in Scotland? We know we should be spreading the love, but it's not our fault that Scotland has two fantastic restaurants that both happen to have obscure locations. The second, The Three Chimneys, opened back in 1985 in the tiny town of Dunvegan on the small Isle of Skye, and has since been awarded a Michelin star and numerous other accolades (including a spot on our Best Restaurants in Europe 2014 and 25 Best Restaurants in England and Scotland lists) for its cuisine. Chef Scott Davies offers dishes that reflect Scotland's traditions as well as its Nordic connections, using fresh and local ingredients in dishes like smoked haddock terrine, Dunvegan crab, pot-roasted woodland pigeon, salted baked beetroot, Gigha halibut, and beef "head to tail." A seven-course tasting menu is also available, as are six luxury bedroom suites on site.
The Royal Mail Hotel Restaurant, Dunkeld, Australia
The restaurant in question here isn't located in the middle of nowhere, but instead in the middle of the Royal Mail Hotel — which in turn is set in the remote Victoria town of Dunkeld, Australia (population: 461). With that in mind, there are at least some things to do nearby, but all are associated with the resort, and the nearest city, Melbourne, is still three hours away. The restaurant (which has been award "two hats" by the Age Good Food Guide 2015 and 2016) offers two-, three-, five-, and eight-course tasting menus with ever-changing options like lamb with miso eggplant, garden snails with toasted rice, beef and onions, wagyu beef bresaola, and pork with turnip, kale, and apple. The eight-course includes matched local and international wines, and is served Wednesday through Sunday.