By FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL, MOTORING REPORTER
Have you ever wished you were brave enough to dine alone? Or maybe you've wanted for a truly intimate experience for two?
Well now you can - and in perhaps the most unique way yet because Hyundai has launched what might be the nation's smallest restaurant.
That's because it's in the back of a tiny electric car.
Called 'Backseat Bites', it's located in a Hyundai Inster electric car, providing a 'one-of-a-kind' encounter at a time when Britons are 'hungry for new experiences'.
The £23,305 Inster is the South Korean brand's smallest EV, which is just 3.8 metres long and 1.6 metres wide offering a mere 66 square feet of dining space - smaller than any other eatery in the country.
The mini and portable restaurant plays to the fact that the Inster hails from Korea, just like the cultural phenomenon of Honbap - meaning to dining alone. The Inster EV has been selling in Korea since 2021 as the 'Casper' and is officially the company's smallest model.
If an electric, bonkers, compact and cultural food experience is for you then you can sample Korean cuisine for one day only - the 22nd of October in Soho, London.
The world's smallest restaurant? Hyundai has turned its Inster EV into a 'Backseat Bites' restaurant for experimental diners
Hyundai says it has designed the Inster Backseat Bites with 'both solo diners and curious duos in mind', to bring Korea to the streets of London.
The electric city car - which has a range of up to 229 miles - is transformed into a compact dining space, complete with bespoke Korean street art by illustrator Yoy Han, and a menu curated by the culinary experts at Chung’Dam.
Hyundai is offering guests an opportunity to experience authentic Korean delights and delicacies including Beef Tartar, BBQ Pork Belly, and Cold Kimchi Noodles.
And it's all because of a 'cultural shift' that's seeing an appetite for personal escapes, with 45 per cent of Britons saying they've gone solo to the cinema, more than half have holidayed alone and two thirds are going out for food by themselves.
Eating out alone at a cafe, pub or restaurant was voted the most empowering, with 66 per cent of people finding it so.
The 4m long, just over 1.5m and 1.6m tall city EV is complete with bespoke Korean street art by illustrator Yoy Han
The menu has been curated by the culinary experts at Chung’Dam - does it take your fancy?
Diners can experience authentic Korean delights and delicacies including Beef Tartar, BBQ Pork Belly, and Cold Kimchi Noodles
Hyundai has found that Britons, but young people especially are wanting to have 'soo experiences' with eating out alone at a cafe, pub or restaurant voted the most empowering
In particular, Gen Z are the most likely to plan a solo experience seeking discovery and empowerment in the next six months - and Hyundai's hoping these people will wind up at its tiny Soho restaurant on wheels.
Ashley Andrew, president of Hyundai, said: 'Backseat Bites is more than just a restaurant. Designed for the nation's adventurers, whether solo or with friends, it offers guests an entirely unique taste of Korea from an unexpected location – the backseat of a car.
'Hosted from the comfort of our brand-new INSTER, its spacious, stylish interior and fold-flat seating makes this latest addition to our range of EVs the perfect host for this unique experience.
'From the bespoke artwork to the traditional cuisine, Backseat Bites is a celebration of Korean culture and a tribute to the joy of doing things your own way.'
Backseat Bites is open to the public on Wednesday 22nd October at 35-36 Greek Street, from 1pm to 8pm. It's free but you need to book online as tickets are limited.
'From the bespoke artwork to the traditional cuisine, Backseat Bites is a celebration of Korean culture and a tribute to the joy of doing things your own way,' Ashley Andrew, President of Hyundai and Genesis UK, said
Backseat Bites is open to the public on Wednesday 22nd October at 35-36 Greek Street, from 1pm to 8pm. It's free but you need to book online as tickets are limited
The Hyundai Inster is the South Korean brand's smallest EV, as well as its cheapest electric offering, starting from £23,305
We can't know for sure but it seems highly likely that the Hyundai Inster Backseat Bites on wheels also qualifies for the smallest restaurant in the UK.
The other competitor to the tiny title would be a Norfolk restaurant that ITV believed could take the title in 2023 because it can only fit a single table.
The restaurant, owned by Charlie Hodson, accommodates for one reservation at a time, with between two and 20 diners accommodated for.
But the Inster can only provide food and seating for two, it definitely beats Hodson and Co. No 23 in Aylsham.
Perhaps an even smaller electric car diner experience will pop up?
