A bold new culinary trend has arrived in the heart of London, turning conventional dining on its head. FLOORS, a newly unveiled restaurant in Angel, Islington, invites patrons to experience a multi-course gourmet meal that eschews tables and plates, instead serving all its dishes directly from the floor. For those seeking to step outside their gastronomic comfort zones, this unique venture promises a feast for both the palate and the imagination.
The brainchild of household appliance company Bosch, FLOORS is described as an immersive dining experience inspired by contemporary Asian cuisine. Rather than using traditional tableware, each dish is presented in natural—and in some cases, edible—protective casings, meticulously arranged atop a spotless, vinyl surface. This daring format challenges diners to reconsider their preconceptions about cleanliness and the boundaries of “high-end” dining.
At the launch event recently hosted by TV personality Gok Wan, guests sampled an eclectic array of dishes that showcase both creativity and precision. The tasting menu included lychee ceviche elegantly nestled within a chilled oyster shell, lotus leaf-steamed meats seasoned with black bean and pepper, duck paired with oyster mushroom and black sesame mochi cake, and a playful edible rice paper “receipt.” Each plate was not found on a laid table, but rather at diners’ feet, inviting an element of playfulness to the fine dining experience.
Crucially, cleanliness is at the core of the FLOORS concept. Its vinyl surface is kept immaculate, and diners must trust in the hygiene standards set by the restaurant—the entire venture doubles as a showcase for Bosch’s Unlimited 10 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. The company’s marketing campaign is intertwined with the culinary experiment, highlighting how even unexpected surfaces can become a focal point when cleanliness is absolute.
Bosch arrived at the concept after polling 2,000 adults across the UK. The resulting data revealed that roughly three-quarters of respondents would normally reject the idea of eating anything that touched the floor of a restaurant. However, when asked if a perfectly clean surface could be used for dining, a surprising 23% said they would be willing to give it a go. Unsurprisingly, the majority still considered the “floor dining experience” to be a rather peculiar proposition, even if they knew the floor was pristine.
Despite initial scepticism, the team behind FLOORS remains optimistic. “We wanted to explore what would happen if you took the cleanliness of a surface beyond anyone’s expectations,” said a spokesperson. “With the right approach and tools, you can elevate even the most mundane part of a restaurant—the floor—into the most important part of the meal.”
Gok Wan, who helped introduce this avant-garde concept to the press, greeted it with enthusiasm. “Honestly, I’d eat most things off the floor if I knew how clean it was—just not soup!” Wan quipped, underscoring both the novelty and the slightly mischievous aspect of the experience. He added that while many diners might hesitate to eat food that’s fallen to the floor, especially in a restaurant, he personally was open to the idea.
Reservations for this one-of-a-kind dining opportunity quickly opened for the exclusive event scheduled for Friday, 9th May, setting the stage for adventurous eaters to try the “floor dining” phenomenon for themselves. While the event is currently a one-night affair, the buzz it has generated suggests that London’s culinary scene may yet see more innovations that defy expectations about where and how we eat.
Whether FLOORS marks the start of a new movement or remains a quirky one-off, it is a clear sign that London’s restaurant scene continues to push boundaries, giving food lovers fresh ways to see—and taste—the world around them.