Best Restaurants in Remote Places
The path off the beaten track is often more interesting than the popular one. Here’s our list of five top restaurants in remote and hard-to-reach areas around the world.
Subsix Restaurant, Maldives
Located approximately 500 metres from the coast of Niyama Private Islands in the Maldives, and nearly 20 metres below the Indian Ocean, Subsix can only be reached by speedboat. Once you arrive, entry to this unusual underwater restaurant is gained by descending down a dramatic three-tier staircase. Once you enter, a weird and wonderful world opens – sea-themed décor blends in with the illuminated ocean floor visible through floor-to-ceiling windows. In the depths of this secret space, you can hide away in the swooping curves of the clam-shaped bar or sink into the soft anemone-inspired chairs.
Functioning as both a nightclub and a restaurant, Subsix accommodates guests throughout the day. Whether you fancy a Champagne breakfast, subaquatic lunch with a refreshing cocktail or a gourmet dinner – there is something for everyone’s taste. The chef’s creations vary from seared scallops, butter poached salmon fillet and lobster medallions to pork belly and grilled Wagyu Beef.
How to get there
Chartering a Midsize Jet like the Embraer Legacy 500 from London Gatwick Airport to Malé International Airport will take between 9 hours and 11 hours, 25 minutes. Your journey then continues with a 40-minute seaplane flight to Niyama Island from where you will take a speedboat.
The Boathouse, Scotland
Situated just off the west coast of Mull, on the picturesque island of Ulva in Scotland, the Boathouse offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Reachable by ferry from the Isle of Mull, the Boathouse is hidden away from the world – a secret restaurant, which has made a name for itself with its delicious local food. Being reliant on self-procured produce found in the area, this family-owned restaurant attracts curious visitors looking for something unusual to eat. Highlights on the menu include creel-caught shellfish, home-grown oysters, local and Scottish meats and salmon, traditionally baked cakes and bread made with free range eggs and delectable meals made with outdoor reared pork. The food is complemented by spectacular views of the landscape with abundant wildlife including otters, deer, birds and butterflies.
How to get there
A private jet flight from London Heathrow Airport to Glasgow International Airport will take approximately an hour in a Light Jet like an eight-seat Cessna Citation V. From Glasgow, rent a car for the 162-kilometre-long journey to the Isle of Mull from where you can take a ferry to the island of Ulva.
Furneaux Lodge, New Zealand
Part of the beauty of this culinary destination is its isolation. Situated on the northern tip of New Zealand’s southern island, Furneaux Lodge cannot be accessed by car as there are no roads leading there. Set in the Marlborough Sounds, a gorgeous network of mountain inlets and islands, this secret location can only be reached by helicopter or boat – a riveting journey that ends in an even more impressive dining experience.
The lodge’s Furneaux Bar and Howden Room Restaurant specialise in fresh New Zealand fare. Good food is an understatement. With a wide selection on offer, from king salmon and green-lipped mussels to game, paired with local Marlborough wine, Furneaux Lodge is the perfect destination for the foodie who'd like to go incognito.
How to get there
The journey between the UK and New Zealand is one best enjoyed in the luxurious cabin of an Ultra Long Range private jet like the Embraer Lineage 1000. The flight from London Gatwick Airport to Wellington International Airport will take between 18 hours and nearly 28 hours, requiring at least one fuel stop. But with complete on-board entertainment, lavish interior designs and ultra comfortable, fully reclinable seats, time will fly. The final leg of the journey is completed with a quick helicopter ride to the lodge.
Maaemo, Norway
To find the world’s northernmost three-star Michelin restaurant you have to travel all the way to Norway. The prestigious restaurant awards hanging against the wall are a testament to the fact that Maaemo is regarded as Oslo’s most exclusive and groundbreaking eatery – the first Norwegian restaurant ever to hold Michelin’s highest accolade. Co-owned by Head Chef Esben Holmboe Bang, Maaemo (meaning “Mother Earth”) is focused on creating a narrative around the clean, bright flavours of Norway. The restaurant serves a playful tasting menu made up of a selection of artfully created dishes such as Norwegian langoustines with pine, mackerel with ramson and Røros butter ice cream with brown butter caramel.
The restaurant has just eight tables in the main dining room, which means that guests must make a reservation in order to secure a spot. Each day at midnight the restaurant opens reservations online for 90 days in advance. For a VIP restaurant experience, book the private Test Kitchen table. Here, you will have a direct view of the chefs at work and the modern skyline of Bjørvika – one simply cannot attach any price to an experience like this.
How to get there
For a smooth, seamless journey, charter a private jet. A flight from London City Airport to Oslo Gardermoen Airport in a Very Light Jet like the four-seat Cessna Citation Mustang will take between one hour and 47 minutes and two hours, nine minutes. The airport is located approximately 50 kilometres from the restaurant.
Fäviken, Sweden
Getting to Fäviken is quite the quest. It’s perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle in Jämtland, Sweden. But its hard-to-reach location isn’t the only thing that makes it one of the most intriguing and unusual restaurants in the world. Fäviken is headed by culinary wunderkind Magnus Nilsson, a young chef who is highly regarded in the New Scandinavian cooking scene. The food is prepared using traditional methods stemming from the Jämtland mountain farms, which adds depth of flavour to the cuisine. The seasonal menu is planned according to the produce harvested and hunted during the bountiful seasons, which is pickled, dried, salted and bottled for the dark winter months. With only 16 seats divided among five tables in the dining room, a visit to this exclusive eatery warrants a reservation made well ahead of time.
How to get there
Östersund airport is situated about 80 kilometres from Fäviken. A private jet charter from London Heathrow Airport to Östersund Airport, Sweden in a Super Midsize Jet like the nine-seat Gulfstream G200 G280 will take between an hour and 50 minutes and two hours and 34 minutes.
The Three Chimneys Restaurant, Isle of Skye
This may not be the easiest restaurant to reach – it’s located off a single-track road five miles from Dunvegan in the north-west corner of Skye, reachable only via the Skye Bridge – but owners Eddie and Shirley Spear have been welcoming diners to the former crofter’s cottage for 25 years, so it must be worth intrepid travelers making the journey.
This reward, apart from spectaculars views, is either an à la carte menu or the Seven Courses of Skye tasting menu that echoes head chef Michael Smith's commitment to sourcing from Skye and Lochalsh. Diners might savour dishes such as Sconser king scallop with hazelnut crust, pickled winkles, split pea and ham hock purée and claret jus, followed by Highland cheeses with oatcakes. And don’t worry, you won’t have to make the journey back on a full stomach – you can stay overnight in one of the six rooms at the House Over-by next door.
How to get there
Inverness Airport at Dalcross, located seven nautical miles northeast of Inverness, is the closest airport to Skye. There are a number of daily services to/from UK airports or you can charter a private jet. The Isle of Skye is then accessible by road, train or ferry.
Koks, the Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands have officially made it onto the food map with their first Michelin-starred restaurant. The 17-course Nordic tasting menu is a delicious representation of the remote, windy islands and what can be found in the Tangafjøður Ocean, famed for its impressively-sized lobsters, giant copper-coloured horse mussels and ivory-tinged scallops.
You’ll find Koks in the small hamlet of Kirkjubøur, where head chef Poul Andrias Ziska adds artistic flair to the community’s classic flavours and culinary traditions; such as the Faroese custom of ageing food through fermentation. Favourite menu items might include a palate-cleansing rhubarb compote, sea tangle, winged kelp or even fulmars served with beetroot. Hundreds of bookings have been taken since Koks won its Michelin star, so it can be difficult to get a table during the short summer season.
How to get there
You can fly quickly and conveniently to the Faroe Islands by private jet charter. The closest major airport is Vágar Airport, one nautical mile east of Sørvágur. A bus service then connects the airport to the Faroe Islands’ main towns and village.
Rodai Grotto, Giornico, Switzerland
It doesn’t get more remote or more charming than Rodai Grotto restaurant in Giornico, a tiny village in the Leventina Valley of southern Switzerland. It’s located in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which has been described by travellers as a “not-quite-here, not-quite-there, lost-in-time sort of the place”. The turnoff for Giornico is a stone relic of 14th-century Europe just off the main road. Make your way into the valley and find a trickling river crossed by two arching stone bridges.
Guests can take a seat at one of the restaurant’s stone benches and enjoy the view of the village on the hill opposite shaded by large, ancient trees and hanging grape vines. The Rodai Grotto serves delicious risottos and other traditional dishes that have been given a modern and light gourmet touch, accompanied by an extensive wine list.
How to get there
A private jet charter can easily get you to Locarno Airport, just 17 miles from Giornico.
Britta’s Restaurant, Treehotel, Sweden
The Treehotel has been lauded for both its weird and wonderful architecture and fine-dining restaurant. In fact, Britta’s Restaurant represents with flair everything that is most exciting about current food trends. Traditional Swedish dishes are created with locally-sourced, sustainable game and each and every flavour on the daily-changing menu is foraged from the restaurant’s northern surrounds.
How to get there
Luleå Airport is located about four miles south-southeast of Luleå, near the village of Kallax. This is Sweden’s fifth largest airport but when you fly in by private jet, you avoid many of the frustrating queues and delays typical of commercial air travel. It’s also possible to arrange a helicopter transfer from Luleå to the Treehotel.
The Rock Restaurant, Zanzibar, Tanzania
This amazing 12-table restaurant serves simple and delicious dishes made from the freshest local seafood. Reached by boat or on foot at low tide, the restaurant’s unique sense of place – perched on a large rock surrounded by sea just off the Michanwi Pingwe beach – has been enchanting diners since 2010.
How to get there
A private jet charter can fly you to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, seven miles from the centre of Zanzibar.
How much does it cost to fly to your favourite remote restaurant by private jet?
The cost of a private jet charter depends largely on the type of aircraft you choose and the route you take. You can read more in this blog post about how much it costs to hire a private plane. To get precise quotes for your bespoke journey, speak to our team to go through your options. A dedicated account manager will then take care of all the finer details, leaving you to sit back and enjoy your flight.