Unique dining: Boats, belly dancers and tiki bars

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Unique dining: Boats, belly dancers and tiki bars

Dante's Down the Hatch, Imperial Fez and Trader Vic's are three of the Atlanta restaurants where diners can go to get an experience like no other.

Diners looking for something different would be well served to check out some of the unusual restaurants Atlanta has to offer. When you walk into Dante's Down the Hatch, one of the many things you'll see is a fully decked-out, faux sailing ship hitched to the pier.

Guests who peer into the moat below the ship might see the crocodiles that reside there.

Dante Stephensen, the owner and creator, is a presence in the restaurant, checking on guests to make sure they are enjoying their dining experience.

There is something for everyone at Dante's. The restaurant has several mannequins, an English barbershop and faux storefronts.

Dante's three-story interior has 13 various levels, and a life-size pirate (right) watches over the restaurant from the ship's rigging.

The wall of fame at Dante's Down the Hatch displays photos of some of the famous people who have dined at the 38-year-old fondue restaurant.

At Imperial Fez, you eat dishes such as lamb shank, couscous with veggies and kabobs with your fingers.

Dilara demonstrates some of her belly dancing technique at Imperial Fez, where guests are encouraged to join in.

Within the past five to six years, Trader Vic's has embraced the Hawaiian shirt-wearing locals who congregate in the bar.

Trader Vic's caters to those who want a Polynesian getaway at home. The menu includes the mammoth luau dinner, a four-course feast with a main course of spicy shrimp, stir-fried chicken and snow peas, a filet of beef and a side of steamed rice.

A Somoan Fog Cutter and Zombie are among the more than 65 different cocktails on Trader Vic's menu.

Bar manager Joel Lindsey makes a Mai Tai, a drink the restaurant claims was invented by founder Victor Bergeron.

Dinner and a show takes on a whole new meaning at Medieval Times in Lawrenceville.

Where else can you have an executioner demonstrate the best way to yield an axe?

Diners can eat something exotic like "dragon tail soup," or stick to food they know like roasted chicken and spare ribs.

For the adults, a bar wench will be happy to pour you an oversized margarita.

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Diners looking for something different would be well served to check out some of the unusual restaurants Atlanta has to offer. When you walk into Dante's Down the Hatch, one of the many things you'll see is a fully decked-out, faux sailing ship hitched to the pier.

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