If you're interested in trying out bugs for the first time,  but don't want to spend the money required for a bag of cricket flour or protein bars? There's another option: going out to a nice restaurant! That's right: more and more restaurants have insects on the menu, often in incredibly creative and delicious ways.

The upside to trying insects at a restaurant is that they'll be prepared by someone who really knows how to cook them, and they'll be yummy. The downside is actually finding a restaurant with critters on the menu, because while there are indeed more and more places putting them on the menu, there still aren't too many -- especially in the Western world -- that have taken the plunge. But we here at Gastrobug have compiled a list to aid you in your search!

Belgium

• BenS BugS - Beringen - mealworms - http://www.bugsfeed.com/bensbugs
• B34 Steak & Burger House - Brussels - Buffalo worms - http://www.b34.brussels/

Canada

British Columbia

• Vij's - Indian cuisine - http://www.vijs.ca/

Ontario

• Cookie Martinez - Columbian Style Insects - http://www.cookiemartinez.com/

France

• Le Festin Nu - Paris - crickets, mealworms - http://www.lefestinnu.com/en/
• Aphrodite - Nice - crickets, mealworms, superworms - http://restaurant-aphrodite.com/

Korea

• Papillon's Kitchen - Seoul - http://www.keilab.org/

Netherlands

• Tante Truus - Netherlands - locusts - http://www.tantetruusalmere.nl/
• Bugalicious - Netherlands - crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, buffalo worms - http://www.bugalicious.nl/?page_id=242

New Zealand

• Vault 21 - Dunedin - locusts - http://vault21.co.nz/

UK

• Archipelago in London UK http://www.archipelago-restaurant.co.uk/menu/a-la-carte-menu/ - lots of insects (crickets, mealworms, weaver ants), uncommon meats (crocodile, alpaca, zebra, python, kangaroo)
• Grub Kitchen - http://www.grubkitchen.co.uk/the-restaurant/ - too many awesome things to mention. Just check out that awesome menu pembrokeshire, UK
• Wahaca - http://www.wahaca.co.uk/ - Locusts - London, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Chichester, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester

United States of America

California

• Typhoon (Santa Monica) http://typhoon.biz/ - Singapore-style scorpions, taiwanese crickets, silkworm pupae, manchurian chambai ants
• La Oaxaquena - http://oaxaquena.yolasite.com/ in San Francisco, cricket tacos highly rated
• Mezcal in San Jose - http://mezcalrestaurantsj.com/menu/#2 - has chapulines
• Don Bugito - http://www.donbugito.com/01About.html - traveling snack company/food experiment
• Dan Sung Sa - Oakland, CA - chrysalis silkworm soup - http://www.yelp.ca/biz/dan-sung-sa-oakland
• 99 Chicken - Santa Clara, CA - On the menu is the Bundaegi Bok Um, a sizzling clay pot dish featuring fried spicy pupal (insect larva) - http://www.yelp.ca/biz/99-chicken-santa-clara

Colorada

• Linger - Denver - Cricket Tacos - Press: http://www.denverpost.com/food/ci_29439995/cricket-tacos-are-menu-at-linger-restaurant-denver

DC

• Oyamel - Washington, DC - chapulines - http://www.oyamel.com/

Louisiana

• Bug Appetit - New Orleans, LA - in the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium - http://www.auduboninstitute.org/insectarium/shopping-and-dining/bug-app%C3%A9tit

New York

• Black Ant (east Village, NY) - grasshopper tacos (ENCHAPULINADOS) http://theblackantnyc.com/
• Toloache (NY) - Chapulines toloachenyc.com

Oregon

• Sushi Mazi - Portland, OR - grasshopper sushi - http://www.sushimazipdx.com/

Texas

• Hugo’s - Houston, TX - chapulines - http://www.hugosrestaurant.net/
• Trailer Treasure - Austin, TX - http://www.trailer-treasure.com/

Washington

• Poquitos - Seattle, WA - chapulines - http://www.vivapoquitos.com/menu/

Note: The restaurants above all offered insects on their menu at the time of inclusion on this list, but that's no guarantee that they'll still have them. We recommend double-checking their menu going on any long drives to indulge in some entomophagy.

Are you lucky enough to be near one of these excellent restaurants? If you are, stop reading and go eat! And then tell us what you thought of your food!

If you know of a restaurant that we missed, please let us know!