London's naked restaurant has waiting list of nearly 30,000 before it even opens - but only a fraction of those will get the chance to eat there
- Bunyadi, set to open in June, bills itself as 'London's naked restaurant'
- It already has a waiting list of 28,984 - but will only be able to seat 3,000
- Restaurant interior reflects 'Pangea-like world' where photos are banned
- Diners will be allowed to wear clothes but it will have a naked section
A
naked restaurant opening in London now has a waiting list of nearly
30,000 diners before it has even opened - but only a tenth of those will
actually have the chance to eat there.
The Bunyadi, which bills itself as London's naked restaurant, is set to open in the capital for three months.
But,
despite the doors not being open until June, 28,984 have submitted
their email addresses to Bunyadi's waiting list, charmed by the idea of a
'Pangea-like world' of wood-flame grilled meals and a ban on Instagram.
A naked restaurant opening in London now has a waiting list of nearly 30,000 diners before it has even opened (file picture)
The Bunyadi, which bills itself as
London's naked restaurant, is set to open in the capital for three
months. It aims to create a truly natural experience, and even the
chairs are axe-cut (pictured)
But
those hoping to get a spot at one of the wood-hewn seats might be
disappointed - because the 42-capacity restaurant will only be able to
seat around 3,000 during the pop-up period.
In
the restaurant, diners will be allowed to wear clothes. But it will
also have a naked section - where photography is strictly banned - in
which gowns will be provided, which people must fold and put on the
seats on arrival.
The
website says they aim to create a world 'free from phones, electric
lights and even clothing', using 'natural, home-grown ingredients' to
envelope clients in the atmosphere.
Guests
will enjoy meals served on handmade clay crockery and edible cutlery,
in a space void of the industrialised-world's modern trappings, their
website says.
They
will dine under a canopy of candle lights, creatively partitioned with
bamboo and wicker, as they recline on wood-hewn furniture.
Guests
will be offered a vegan and a non-vegan menu, and those who sit in the
naked section will be offered lockers to put their clothes in as they
change in to their gowns.
People will walk into the bar area
(pictured) fully clothed and will be handed a gown to change into, and
offered a locker to put their possessions in so the restaurant is free
from phones
The actual naked area in the
restaurant (pictured) is partitioned by bamboo screens so that the
people you eat with may be the only ones who actually see you without
clothes on
Seb
Lyall, the founder of creators Lollipop, said: 'We believe people
should get the chance to enjoy and experience a night out without any
impurities: no chemicals, no artificial colours, no electricity, no gas,
no phone and even no clothes if they wish to. The idea is to experience
true liberation.'
He added: 'We have worked very hard to design a space where everything patrons interact with is bare and naked.
'The
use of natural bamboo partitions and candlelight has enabled to us to
make the restaurant discreet, whilst adhering to the ethos behind it.'
Mr
Lyall said the body positivity, the trend for more natural ingredients,
and nostalgia surrounding days when people didn't take their phones to
the table inspired the idea.
The restaurant is a pop-up in central
London and has already been designed (pictured) but the owners wont be
releasing any actual pictures of the space before the opening in June
These are the Bunyadi bamboo screens that will be used to partition off the different tables in the naked area
He
told MailOnline: 'There are a lot of people who want truly natural
ingredients, people who are vegan and are very health-conscious. That is
one trend.
'But
also, everyone has their phone at the dinner table these days. People
in their late 20s, 30s and 40s will remember a time when that wasn't the
case, and I think they crave the chance to go back to that.
'Another
reason is the idea of feeling comfortable in your own skin. There was a
controversial ad campaign on The Tube last year, when a protein brand
asked "are you beach body ready?"
'I
think to feel comfortable, you need to experience that atmosphere, on
the beach, or naked, and I think people want the opportunity to do
that.'
Lollipop, the inventors of Bunyadi, made headlines last year with the creation of their Owl Cafe in London.
Various
breeds were brought to the space, and more than 25,000 people joined
the waiting list to take part in the event - based on a trend in Tokyo.
But
it angered animal rights campaigners, who launched a petition to stop
the pop-up, with one claiming 'It would be hard to think of a more
frightening place for owls'.
However, Mr Lyall insisted it was not a strssful experience for the birds, which people realised when they arrived.
He
told MailOnline: 'It was very controversial at the time, but when
people came and saw what kind of space it was, they could see that there
was nothing to worry about.'
Bunyadi will be open in central London for six months.