Fantasy Themed Bars & Restaurants

Well, it is utter Harry Potter madness at the moment, and I am trying my very best to contain the child in me that wants to break out of this 27 year old body and just go crazy. I LOVE Harry Potter... in fact I love most things fantasy based. I put it down to my creative mind of course, because to be honest, nothing excites and inspires me more!

From childhood favourites like Alice in Wonderland, Hocus Pocus and The Witches, to more recent films like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Spiderwick Chronicles and Coraline, the film industry has released some fantastic movies over the years. I love watching films like this, but sometimes I almost want more, and that is how I came to search for places I could visit for the same sense of adventure; Google did not disappoint.

The Vampire Cafe | Tokyo, Japan

I nearly burst when I saw this. What an amazing place; the richness of the colours, the warmth of the candle light, the intensity of the ambience, and the incredible attention to detail. I would love to visit this place at Halloween - or any other time for that matter - for perhaps a Bloody Mary, Blood Clot or Blood Orange and Vodka, which are just a few of the cocktails on offer there.

Waxy O'Connor's | London, Manchester, Glasgow

More than a bit closer to home, I actually have some chance of getting to visit this little treasure - and can do so in any of it's 3 locations; London, Manchester or Glasgow.

Waxy O'Connor was a Dublin man, born in 1788. His name came about from his profession as a candle maker, and he was well known for his love of hard liquor. The 'Waxy O'Connor tree', which is on display in all it's glory within the London venue, was brought over from Ireland in 1995. The tree had actually died naturally in 1994, and a local woodworker who had a special connection to the tree, hewed the pieces of the tree for shipment to London.

The beautiful tree seems to form a real focal point within the bar/restaurant, and fits in beautifully with the detailed wooden interior. The venue has a real charm and decadence to it, with it's soft lighting that seems to make the decor glow with warmth. From what I have gathered, each of the venues follows the same theme of decor, but each may have it's own special feature; like London has the tree, Glasgow has a magnificent organ.

Alice in Wonderland Restaurant | Tokyo, Japan

Finally, we finish with this visual feast of a venue - the Alice in Wonderland themed restaurant. The venue is divided into various scenes from the film - each carrying it's own imaginative charm. From over sized books and tea cups, to dramatic wall art and hanging hearts and cards, this looks like one big adventure. I think I could spend all day in there.

I hope that you have all enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed creating it. As mentioned, I went on a Google spree for these images, so as always, if anyone comes across one that is their own, please feel free to credit yourself in the comments box (and well done for such fabulous photography).

Lastly, if you know of any other amazing fantasy themed places to visit, please do post a comment to tell me about them! As you can probably tell, I would love to discover more - and so might other readers.