They say you eat with your eyes first. So, the creators behind this newest dining experience are exploring unique ways to make dining even more visually stunning. A concoction of immersive video installations, fine dining, and theatre, Journey is the latest venture into “theatrical gastronomy,” or culinary theatre.

Structured around the enhancement of a spectacle during the service of food and beverages, culinary theatre is a long-established practice. Many restaurants and eateries have been combining some element of theatrics into their dining experience for a while now. But Journey is taking the meaning of culinary theatre to another level with the integration of technology, allowing patrons to be transported and take a journey at their very own tables. 

Located at 27 West 24th Street in NYC, Journey houses four unique experiences under one roof. Journey 360 utilizes 360-degree projections to transport you from a communal table to five exotic locations during your meal. Journey Odyssey features live and filmed performances by an award-winning Broadway cast that bring the diners’ tabletops to life. Journey Lounge provides a mix of live and filmed entertainment. And Journey Epic Café uses augmented reality to bring even the dinner plates to life.

Let’s take a closer look at Journey 360. Opened in January in New York City’s Flatiron neighborhood, the floor-to-ceiling projections which can be seen during the Journey 360 experience allow guests to transport to various locations during each course of the prix-fixe meal – even projecting onto its tabletops.

“From a fantastic waterfall in the rainforest to the side of a volcano to an underwater shipwreck, every setting has been designed to complement the cuisine,” explained Marc Routh, executive producer of Journey and award-winning Broadway producer, in this previous article.

The meal items created by executive chef Edward Hong feature mouth-watering ingredients sourced from regions around the world. Dutch fashion tech designer Anouk Wipprecht fashioned couture outfits for the hosts of Journey Salon and Journey 360, combining 3D printing, robotics, and mechanical elements. And the entire team behind the experience boasts plenty of theater and Broadway expertise.

The projection mapping for the experience is produced by Illuminating Magic, the company that also worked on Le Petit Chef. They hold the Guinness World Record for the most projection-mapped displays at a single venue and continue to utilize technology to break boundaries.  

“I call it going to Broadway, but at the same time being able to eat,” said Alex Vanderbilt, owner and partner of Journey, “which usually you have to pick either before or after the show.” Vanderbilt also added that the experience is meant to be a “culinary execution with an entertainment element.”

Decked with technology, this experience is sure to not only satisfy tastebuds but invoke all of your senses.