London to get ‘natural’ naked restaurant – wait list already over 15,000

Bunyadi - eat free!

The Bunyadi (BoN/YA/Dee – meaning fundamental, base, natural in Hindi) is all set to open in June. This new London pop-up restaurant is going to be around for more than a few months, if the wait list numbers are anything to go by. While there’s no mention of what the food will be like yet, the dining experience is going to be far from conventional. The restaurant purports itself to be London’s ‘naked’, ‘unclad’ and ‘purest’ restaurant. Patrons can choose to dine in the buff if they’d like to, just like going to the nudist section of a beach.

The idea is to have a completely ‘stripped-down’ experience – be it lighting, decor, menu options or clothing. The founder feels that this concept will help clients experience true ‘liberation’, keeping the experience free of all modern trappings – electricity, phones, fancy furniture, chemicals or artificial colours in the fare, and, if they choose to – clothing too. There will apparently be separate sections for people who would want to dine in the buff. There will be a dressing room that customers can use to disrobe, and lockers and a gown will be provided to those who want it. The gown may or may not be worn, depending on the level of ‘freedom’ the customer desires. The ambiance too will incorporate completely natural elements – with candle lighting, bamboo partitions and raw wood furniture. On the whole, while it does not sound like a very comfortable experience, it may turn out to be the next-new-thing people want to try, given the waiting list has already swelled to over 15,000 people

'Naked furniture' for the Bunyadi Image credit: facebook
‘Naked furniture’ for the Bunyadi
Image credit: facebook

 

This is the latest offering from Seb Lyall, a trader turned entrepreneur who was also the name behind the controversial pop-ups Owl Bar (where diners could spend time with 6 owls) and ABQ London (a Breaking Bad inspired cocktail lab that was set up in an RV). He takes pride in his passion for life-changing and disruptive ideas, and also likes to dabble in tech. The press release from the website for the restaurant promises to take diners “to a beginning where everything was fresh, free and unadulterated from the trappings of modern life.” Food will be wood flamed and grilled, and served on hand made clay crockery with edible cutlery. The venue will be designed so as to split it into two sections – clothed and ‘pure’, and will seat about 42 people in all. The ethos behind the idea is to create a space “where everything patrons interact with is bare and naked”, including themselves.

The setting will certainly warrant a certain amount of caution while dining, given the hot food and candle flames. Spilling hot food on to your clothes is one thing, but your skin might certainly not be as forgiving! While health and hygiene could be a cause for concern, it looks like people are willing to overlook such trivialities in ‘view of the bigger picture’. While traditional restaurants bank on their culinary creations to whet  an appetite, patrons at the Bunyadi might find their attention being drawn by more than just the food. While the concept may not turn out to be everyones cup of tea, feel free to speculate whether the menu will have any forbidden fruit on offer.

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