Think of McDonald’s, and burgers, fries and milkshakes probably spring to mind – closely followed by a pair of golden arches and a red-and-yellow colour scheme. Stunning architecture and decor? Not so much. However, there are some McDonald’s restaurants around the world that are far removed from your standard fast food joints. Here, we take a look at some of the most beautiful.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the world's most majestic McDonald's locations, counting down to the most striking of them all.
We've based our ranking on the architectural beauty of each building, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. This list is unavoidably subjective.
Housed in a super-fancy building, the Independence branch of McDonald’s boasts white pillars and huge windows – and with no golden arches to speak of, you might not even realise it's a McDonald's, at first glance. Inside, diners can expect gold chandeliers, Colonial decor and a striking staircase. For obvious reasons, the two-storey building is known locally as the 'McMansion'.
Fans of modern architecture will love this impressive glass-domed McDonald’s in Georgia, a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and West Asia. Designed by Georgian architect Giorgi Khmaladze, the futuristic building is surrounded by water, providing a calming outlook for those dining inside.
Asheville is a dynamic city in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, so it seems fair that it deserves an attractive McDonald's. This one looks just like a pretty ski lodge, especially when it’s lit up at night. The interior is just as striking, with chandeliers, a fireplace and a self-playing baby grand piano. It's a little more than you'd expect when popping in for a cheeseburger!
Designed to fit in with Sedona’s rugged landscape (in order to comply with strict city council standards), this is the only McDonald’s in the world to have a turquoise logo; officials thought the standard yellow clashed with city's famous red rock formations. Far removed from the traditional garish McDonald’s restaurants we’re used to, the building's brown tones also complement the natural surroundings.
Before its redesign was unveiled in 2015, the McDonald's on busy Rotterdam thoroughfare Coolsingel was voted the city's ugliest building. Now, most people consider it a triumph; its glass structure makes it feel part of the area, at the same time making a feature of the sweeping bright-white staircase. This modern McDonald’s also has a gold perforated façade featuring the faces of a crowd of people once photographed on Coolsingel – and it even glows at night.
This charming white mansion, with its eye-catching pale-green shutters, was built in 1795. McDonald’s bought the building in 1985, and was initially going to knock it down and build one of its standard restaurants in its place. However, the chain faced a backlash from local residents, and instead agreed to preserve the pretty building's exterior – with the fast food restaurant tucked inside.
Inside Budapest’s railway station you’ll find a McDonald’s reminiscent of a fine dining restaurant – complete with vaulted ceilings, multi-coloured tiled flooring, ornate lamps and elegant decor. The 1920s Art Deco–style restaurant is furnished with leather booths, where customers can enjoy their burger and fries while soaking up the fabulous surroundings.
Set inside a 19th-century mansion, Gore House, this Maine McDonald’s branch has a powder-blue exterior, with a subtle sign above the door – and another on the front lawn. The fast food restaurant opened in 1984 and, due to protests from locals, McDonald's agreed to keep the mansion’s original features. The interior was recently modernised, but diners can still enjoy the original fireplaces, as well as decor featuring old images of Freeport. The restaurant has been known to serve lobster rolls – a New England speciality – in the summer.
A former jeweller's shop, this beautiful building on Madrid's Gran Vía became Spain's first-ever McDonald's location in 1981 – and it still retains many of its original features (which some might find even more appealing than the menu). As well as a winding staircase, it boasts marble flooring and pillars, with chandeliers dripping from the ceiling.
Another mansion, this time in Penang. Surrounded by modern buildings, Birch House, which dates all the way back to 1908, certainly stands out. The gorgeous George Town building was almost demolished in the early 2000s – but thankfully, it’s still standing in pride of place, housing a 24-hour McDonald’s.
This Alpine-style restaurant, surrounded by stunning snow-capped mountains, certainly doesn’t look like your typical McDonald’s. Initially launched as a temporary pop-up during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, the restaurant is now a permanent fixture in the fashionable ski resort of Krasnaya Polyana – and it manages to blend in beautifully with its posh neighbours.
While it may not be traditionally beautiful, architecture fans will be keen to check out the oldest operating McDonald’s in the world, with its original (and absolutely enormous) golden arches. Opened in 1953, the restaurant showcases the building style of the time, and it's now a popular tourist attraction.
In the charming city of Bergen, you’ll find a McDonald’s set inside a traditional timber building – blending in perfectly with the rest of the area. Instead of the usual flashy red-and-yellow accents, there's just a simple sign above the door, making sure nothing detracts from the structure's simple beauty. Step inside, however, and you'll find it’s just like any other McDonald’s you’ve been to.
The Bray branch of McDonald’s is housed inside Bray Town Hall, a building that dates back to 1881. It's a wonderful example of Tudor Revival–style architecture, and the interior has lofty beamed ceilings and wooden accents throughout. The fast food franchise took over the ground floor in 1997, but council meetings are still held on the first floor to this day.
Formerly a bank, this beautiful building is now home to everyone's favourite fast food eatery. The impressive original doors are still in place, topped with a restaurant sign in gold letters, but sadly, they're no longer in use. While customers are free to soak up the impressive façade, they have to enter the restaurant via a side door.
Set in a former observatory, this astronomy-tower branch of McDonald’s is certainly eye-catching. It opened as a burger bar in 1999 – and it definitely doesn't look like your run of the mill McDonald's from the outside. Snap a photo of the unique exterior before heading inside to dine on a Truffle Chicken Cheese burger and candy-topped McFlurry (two of the Georgian menu's most mouth-watering fixtures).
Roswell became known as ‘the alien capital of the world’ after a UFO allegedly crash-landed in fields on the outskirts of the city in 1947. With its sleek design and holographic lighting, this spaceship-shaped McDonald’s pays homage to the legend, and it really does look out of this world. It's McDonald's, but not as we know it.
Art Deco fans will appreciate the heritage-listed Melbourne branch of McDonald’s, set in Victoria's former United Kingdom Hotel. Designed by architect James Hastie in the late 1930s, the two-storey red-brick building is certainly a little different from your usual burger joints, with impressive curved wings, rounded balconies and thin metal railings. There’s also a retro dining room, adding to the restaurant’s quirkiness.
Located moments from Rome's famous Spanish Steps, this elegant McDonald's – the first on Italian soil – opened its doors in 1986. While you'll find typical McDonald’s features throughout the building, the space is also filled with nods to the city's architectural heritage, with original marble arched walls, striking mosaics and classical sculptures lining the entrance area. The menu features the usual favourites, as well as an array of Italian specials, including tomato and mozzarella–filled panzerotti pastries, and snack-sized portions of Parmigiano Reggiano.
This Lisbon branch of McDonald’s is certainly pretty in pink, standing out as a colourful focal point in the city’s Belém area. Besides the pastel exterior, the wrought-iron Juliet balconies, filled with flowers and plants, also add to the burger restaurant’s charm. It's become a tourist destination in its own right, and has even inspired artwork.
This log-cabin restaurant blends into the local area nicely – and it looks particularly pretty in the snow, or lit up at night. While outside is undeniably charming, the interior is a little bit different too; you can admire unique touches like a wood-carved bear and a wall-mounted moose head while you're waiting for your Big Mac and fries.
Built in 1930, this heritage-listed McDonald’s branch in Sydney used to be a 2,000-seat cinema, the Plaza Theatre, before the fast food chain took over in 1977. The outside of the restaurant is nothing special but, inside, you’ll find stunning features including gold balustrades and large, elegant chandeliers, lending the location more than a little Golden Age sparkle.
If you amble along Rue Saint-Lazare in Paris, you’ll come across this wonderfully quaint branch of McDonald's, complete with a half-timbered brick exterior – a hallmark of traditional Alsatian architecture. A UNESCO Heritage Site, it's certainly a talking point in an area already well-known for its fine dining and designer shops. Crane your neck upwards, and you'll notice a statue depicting the rotund Gambrinus, the legendary European 'King of Beer'.
Complete with red lanterns, ornate windows and carved wooden detailing, this fast food joint in Fuzhou is nothing short of breath-taking. McDonald's classic golden arches grace the exterior, lighting up the building beautifully come nightfall. Inside, the restaurant is equally charming – while the menu features a few tasty twists, including Century Egg Chicken Porridge and Taro Pie (made with a tropical root vegetable with purple-speckled flesh).
Porto’s 1930s-built Imperial Café is now home to a McDonald’s – but it retains many of its beautiful original features, including Art Deco–style stained glass windows, crystal chandeliers, grand mirrors and ornate ceilings. Customers enter the burger bar through its stunning original archway, which is overlooked by a majestic statue of an eagle.
Now discover America's most historic fast food restaurants
Last updated by Lottie Woodrow.