Suspended 50 metres above the ground, diners will soon enjoy fine-dining above the Waterloo battlefield. For nearly 20 years, 'Dinner in the Sky', a concept co-created by Brussels resident David Ghysels, has brought dining to new heights, both in Belgium and across the globe.
From a simple marketing concept, Ghysels' Brussels-based company has quickly grown to become a hotly attended dining experience, represented in over 60 countries globally. The suspended restaurants have been spotted in front of many of the world’s most recognisable landmarks, such as São Paulo's Octávio Frias de Oliviera bridge, along the shores of Bali, and above the urban cityscapes of Dubai, Las Vegas and Hong Kong.
In an interview with The Brussels Times, Ghysels detailed the origin of the dining experience and the brand, which now represents Made in Belgium on five continents.
Brussels boardroom to international skyline
"Dinner in the Sky started here around this very table in 2005," Ghysels says from his office in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles. "At the time we had a client, the young restaurateurs of Europe, who was looking for an idea to promote a younger, different gastronomy."
The pioneering culinary project was founded at an unassuming Brussels office nearly 20 years ago by David Ghysels (Left) and Stefan Kerkhofs (Right). Credit: Dinner in the Sky
After brainstorming with his partners of Hakuna Matata – a culinary marketing brand run by Ghysels and fellow Belgian colleagues – the first Dinner in the Sky was born. Shelved for a time due to its complexity, the concept was revived in collaboration with his future business partner Stefan Kerkhofs, from Dutch Fun Group, a company specialised in bungee jumping from cranes and sponsor of San Pellegrino.
A metallic construction, with chairs and harnesses attached, with a space for a chef in the centre to plate up meals, was elaborated by Ghysels' team with the help of an engineer.
The company's initial showcase at Le Mess restaurant, in the Brussels municipality of Etterbeek, captivated the global media, spinning the concept from a marketing campaign to an international brand. Credit: Dinner in the Sky
For the first event, which took place in Etterbeek in 2006, a special table was constructed by engineers to showcase the concept. Unbeknownst to the Brussels entrepreneur, the idea would quickly produce a buzz worldwide.
"We got lucky," he explains. "The Reuters press agency came to the press event and distributed the photos through their network. These photos ended up in Forbes, which was writing a 'Ten Most Unusual Restaurants in the World.'"
Overnight, the sky-high dining experience went from a concept to a world-renowned culinary experience. "In one day, we became a 'restaurant', even though at its foundations it was a communications project. The telephone rang non-stop with offers. Thanks to this media coverage, many people saw it and wanted to organise incredible dinners," Ghysels says.
New horizons
Within a few years, the Belgian floating restaurant began organising elevated dinners across the world. Notably, Prince Albert of Monaco commissioned the company to come to Monaco as part of his fifth accession anniversary celebrations. Shortly after, Dinner in the Sky debuted with Michelin star dinners in Paris' Jardin des Tuileries and later at Las Vegas' Encore Festival.
"Good ideas are often born from an accident. For me, the accident was the meeting between a gastronomical company and a company specialising in fairground attractions… In our profession, it is important to remain curious and open," he surmises.
One of the Belgian-made tables suspended over Monterey, Mexico. Credit: Dinner in the Sky
The project quickly gained traction. From a boutique firm renting its floating restaurant to international clients, it entered the world of franchising. "One day in 2008, a German set up a meeting with us and said he wanted to buy a table for Germany. My associate and I looked at each other and said, 'is he crazy? Buy?'"
The company now sells its suspended dining experience across the world, but under very specific circumstances. "We only sell one licence per country, to one sole person, for security reasons. They then have the exclusive right in their country. By purchasing the table, the man also received an operating licence and the right to use the name."
Dinner in the Sky swiftly became a global brand. Orders came in from across the world, including South Africa, Slovakia, India, among others. Today, there are 80 tables across 60 countries operating under the Belgian brand. Every global partner chooses the direction, cuisine and theme of their events, from London to Bangkok. The Belgian entrepreneur only intervenes for questions of safety.
Made in Belgium
By 2012, the brand had solidified itself as an international phenomenon. Ghysels turned his attention to his home city, Brussels. The same year, during the gastronomy year hosted in Brussels, Dinner in the Sky became a focal point for the celebration of Belgian cuisine.
Organising its own events for the first time, the restaurant organised Michelin star dining experiences in front of some of the city's most iconic monuments, such as the Atomium, Parc du Cinquantenaire and Bois de la Cambre. The dinners were a huge success, with high demand for reservations, and images of diners eating 50 metres above the ground making headlines in the Belgian press.
Credit: Dinner in the Sky
While now a global brand, the company's Belgian origins remain dear to Ghysels. "It's a Belgian concept; it's made here. The first table was built here. Even today, the tables we sell across the world, they're made here. That's what I love about this concept: it has become a communications tool for Belgium."
What makes for a great dining experience in the sky? Ghysels says that it all starts with the right location: "somewhere symbolic, such as the Atomium or Grand Place. In Athens, in front of the Acropolis, or sometimes on the beach. We always try to pick that 'postcard' location," he notes.
"For the chefs, our principal criteria is not just Michelin stars. What's important for us is generosity. Generosity on the plate, but also the human contact. It's super important that our chef comes to speak to the guests and spends time with them. That's why people come to Dinner in the Sky."
Not for the faint-hearted?
For many considering their first elevated dining experience, a question quickly comes to their minds: bathroom needs.
How do people go to pee? "It's quite simple! We go to the toilet before, like at the cinema! A film lasts an hour and half. During a film, people don't spend all their time in the bathroom. If ever someone really needs to go during the meal, we descend the table, they go to the toilet, and we go back up!"
David Ghysels says his suspended dining experience follows strict safety conditions and is adapted to all climates. Credit: Dinner in the Sky
Is it scary? "I'm glad people have this impression," Ghysels grins, "otherwise it would be a banal affair. We need this little boost of adrenaline at the beginning."
"But in reality, Dinner in the Sky is much less scary than a chairlift, for example. It's super stable. It hardly moves. When it's windy, it spins very slightly. You have a place to rest your arms, a footrest, friends around you, a glass of champagne in your hand… Yes, you get butterflies in your stomach, but this goes away very quickly. Everything lets people enjoy an exceptional moment up there, to the point that they even forget they are 50 metres up in the air."
The iconic Brussels-based dining experience is set to attract Belgian diners once again in just a few months. This year, Dinner in the Sky comes to the site of the Battle of Waterloo, with a culinary offering showcasing the best of female Belgian culinary talent with views of the iconic Lion of Waterloo.
From 22 May to 22 June, Dinner in the Sky will be held over the official Waterloo battlefield, marking its 14th edition in Belgium. Credit: Dinner in the Sky
"This year, we are hosting five decorated female chefs. It's worth noting that in Belgium there are just five Michelin-starred female chefs. We will host three of them and two who were formerly awarded," Ghysels says.
The event will also put particular emphasis on young talent. "This year we have plenty of young talent: Alexandre Ciriello, Julien Hauspie, Max & Moi… We have a good regional balance too. Five chefs come from Flanders, seven from Brussels, and the rest from Wallonia. It's pretty much half and half between the north and south of the country," he adds.
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Having already elevated to impressive heights, what's next for this haut-cuisine experience? The beauty lies in the concept's flexibility, Ghysels believes. Dinner in the Sky has hosted concerts in the sky, weddings, film screenings, a table tennis match between Gary Lineker and Pat Cash, a table football tournament, a golf driving range, concerts, and much more.
The Belgian concept even received a surprising endorsement from the Foo Fighters. "They must be completely crazy to go up there to watch a concert," they are reported to have said of the project. "But you know what, the more I look at it, I’d definitely pay to watch from up there."
"We have received many prizes, both in Belgium and across the world. But I don't really care about prizes," Ghysels says. "For me, the main prize is to see the smiles on the faces of the diners once they come back to Earth. Our best ambassadors are our clients."
