Maybe it’s grown out of the rise of locavore restos and the trend for meat-free, but gastronomic greenhouses seem to be flourishing the world over. And why shouldn’t they, with their flora-festooned, sunshine-flooded digs and pretty plates almost too good looking to eat?
To discover the very best glassy diners around the globe, nab yourself all 30 LUXE City Guides and read on for our top ten greenhouse restaurants.
Updated Nov 2018.
1. The Commissary, Los Angeles
Planted firmly beside the pool of The Line Hotel in Koreatown, Roy Choi’s scrub-chic pan-Asian sensation is the ultimate horticulturalists hideout with a perfectly Insta-ble setting of tumbling philodendrons, exposed ducts and upcycled apple crates, teamed with produce-driven dishes and flowery tipples.
The Line Hotel, 3515 Wilshire Blvd, Koreatown, Los Angeles. +1 213 368 3030. thelinehotel.com
2. The Potting Shed, Sydney
We love The Grounds of Alexandria for a beaut brekkie, but better still is the leafy n’ lovely onsite Potting Shed for sharable sups and sips. Plonk your bot beneath the hanging ferns and order smoked trout tacos teamed with a Pina Backyarder.
7a/2 Huntley St, Alexandria, Sydney. +61 2 9699 2225. thegrounds.com.au
3. Los Peñotes, Madrid
It’s not quite the Palacio de Cristal, but Los Peñotes in the Spanish capital’s La Moraleja district flaunts some serious design cred with a floating fireplace, wicker peacock chairs and tropi-cool trimmings. Best of all, most of the fresh decor is for sale.
Carretera de Burgos KM-13, 900 Alcobendas, Madrid. +34 916 62 08 95. lospenotes.com
4. Petersham Nurseries Teahouse, London
Skip past the formal resto The Café in favour of the gorgeous, shade-dappled, secret garden-style Teahouse, perfectly posi’d for a cuppa and cake break post your Kew Gardens jaunt. If Richmond is too much of a schlep, hotfoot it to central The Petersham Covent Garden, a courtyard stable of retail and dining riffing on the original town and country vibe. Casual La Goccia is our choice for yum pizzettas to share.
Petersham Rd, Richmond, London. +44 20 8940 5230 and 2 Floral Court, Covent Garden, London. +44 20 7305 7676. petershamnurseries.com
5. 27. Cafe, Beijing
A welcomed breath of fresh air in the smoggy capital, this edgy offering eschews jungle-boho vibes in favour of mod-imalist crisp baton dividers, clean rows of cube-potted, air-purifying vegetation and blond wood tables where diners dig into crusty paninis and sweet pastries.
Bldg 2, 6 Fangyuan Xi Lu, Chaoyang, Beijing. +86 10 8431 0027
Read More: Meat-Free Restaurants in New York, London and Tokyo
6. Grub Food Van, Melbourne
Yes, the name’s lame, but who cares when there’s a ’60s Airstream, ping pong table, fish pond and retro-grungy garden party vibes aplenty beneath the clear corrugated roof of this eclectic all-dayer in funk-hip Fitzroy. And bits of your brekkie come straight from the planter boxes. Bloomin’ great!
87-89 Moor St, Fitzroy, Melbourne. +61 3 9419 8991. grubfoodvan.com.au
7. NOMO Kitchen Restaurant, New York
Behind the verdant entrance arches of the NoMo SoHo Hotel is an equally p-lush conservatory filled with elegant palms, chandeliers and a striking suspended glassware installation. Add refined American cuisine and signature cocktails and you’ve got the ultimate foliage-dappled date nighter.
NoMo SoHo Hotel, 9 Crosby St, New York. +1 646 218 6449. nomosoho.com
8. De Kas, Amsterdam
Bike out east to Watergraafsmeer and this smart mod Med luncher perf perched in a lakeside nursery. In Spring and Summer the surrounds are verdurous and so are the plates, with a largely veg-centric daily menu crafted from ingredients plucked fresh from the neighbouring kitchen gardens.
Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3, Oost, Amsterdam. +31 2 0462 4562. restaurantdekas.nl
9. Pollen, Singapore
Inside the giant terrarium that is Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, smart fine diner Pollen’s degustation sets can be a little over-elaborate, so stick to the terrace menu or take a swank afternoon tea served with a side of marina vistas.
Flower Dome, Gardens By the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore. +65 6604 9988. pollen.com.sg
10. The Corner Restaurant, Rome
What makes the fairytale setting of a glasshouse yet more idyllic? Why, books, of course! The Restaurant at bella villa The Corner is a love story come to life with walls of tomes topped off with an ivy and edison-bulb strung ceiling.
The Corner, Viale Aventino, 121, Rome. +39 6 45597350. thecornerrome.com
Hero image: The Potting Shed
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