It’s 2016 and we want more. We’ve demanded bigger iPhone screens, equal pay for equal work, blockbusters that are also thoughtful films and now we also want more from our dining experiences. Gone are the days of boring conversation over a traditional glass (or bottle?) of wine, eating simple food at a small table, assuring our attending wait staff that the food is fine with full mouths to prove it. From restaurants shrouded in darkness to diners being asked to pay it forward to paying to being insulted by the wait staff, check out these wacky restaurants catering to the public’s wacky desires:

Medieval Banquet

For just £35, you can take a trip back in time at this unique London dining experience. Complete with serving wenches, barrels of mead and a feast fit for a king, this Medieval Banquet is located just a stone’s throw from the actual Medieval stronghold in the city: the Tower of London, where infamous King Henry VIII, your majestic host for the night, once reigned. Held in candlelit cellars, this four-course meal will give you interesting insight into another time, where kings lived and killed and died.

Murder Mystery Party

These events have been popping up all over the world – especially in hot spots like New York, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The idea is that of an interactive board game – where you and your companions are the players! While some companies put on a performance and simply invite the diners to dance and to attempt to solve the mystery, others craft a completely immersive experience – sending the guests scripts to prepare for before the dinner. Put on your thinking cap and get ready for a night of intrigue, betrayal and, of course, murder!

Dining In The Dark

This concept began coincidentally in 1999 when a blind clergyman in Zurich, Switzerland opened his own restaurant and diners started to blindfold themselves out of respect to the owner. Since then, ideations of this idea started popping up all over the world, with restaurants where patrons dine in complete darkness now in Paris, London, New York, Berlin, just to name a few. Most of the restaurants employ visually impaired or completely blind wait staff, as well. Some of the spots even offer poetry readings, theatre shows and other “in the dark” entertainment.

Going Out To Dine In

Want to go out to eat but feel right at home? This latest dining trend takes that missive super seriously. With restaurants like Supperclub and Derrière making a splash in Europe, it’s gearing up to be a worldwide phenomenon. Beds line the walls in Supperclub and the food is brought out on trays, so that you can tuck yourself in and enjoy your food from the comfort of your plush mattress. In Derrière, the whole venue is set up to look like a living room. Tables are surrounded by plush couches and cozy, beat up recliners. If only we could become 5-star chefs, we’d never need to leave home!

Paying It Forward

A unique way to dine, restaurants like Karma Kitchen and Forage are intent on using their businesses to pay it forward. Karma Kitchen is run completely from volunteer work and has spots all over the world. The customer receives a bill that reads $0, with a note explaining that a previous customer has covered their bill and encouraging them to do the same and pay for the next customer’s tab. Forage is an LA-based restaurant that works with small family farms and, interestingly, its own community members! The business asks neighbors to bring in their homegrown produce for use in the restaurant’s dishes. The foragers then get restaurant dining credit for their contribution. Doing good and making good food – we like this trend!

Workshops + Dining

Who says you can’t eat at your desk? A new restaurant kitsch turning up are spaces that mix business with pleasure – combining artist workshops with restaurants and art galleries. Guests are invited to watch the work process of various artists as they eat in their private workshops. At the end of the meal, customers can also purchase the art that’s been made in front of them!

Multi-Tasking Laundromats

Going to the laundromat is a necessary, but ultimately boring, chore for a lot of people without a washer and drier en suite. That’s why when laundromats that branded themselves as cafes, bars and board game enthusiasts started coming out of the woodwork, their popularity skyrocketed. Now the two hours that you usually spent futzing aimlessly around your laundromat’s neighborhood can be spent reading a book, sipping a coffee or digging into a toasty grilled cheese sandwich. Sign us up!

Have you had a unique dining experience that’s not listed here? Tell us all about it in the comments!