BENGALURU: So you have tried costumed dining, blind dining and blood-and-guts dining. Next, you can book a table for sky dining. Bengaluru-based ‘Sky Lounge’ offers to lift you, your table and your dinner companions up in the air for an hour-long meal. A crane will lift you 180 ft above Nagawara Lake, and the meal will begin. Serving staff will also be with you.
The concept, which is present in more than 45 countries, is operational in India for the first time. The sky dining experience is located at Nagawara next to Manyata Tech Park in Hebbal and has been operational from the last two days. Fly-dining, according to the owners, has been experienced by more than 150 people in just three days.
On Saturday, the first weekend after the launch, a Bengaluru-based youngster got lucky when he proposed to his girlfriend 180 ft above the ground. “He was extremely happy and said the couple had the best experience of their life. The girl was thrilled about the very idea of being proposed at such a height with a beautiful view,” said Avinash J, managing partner of Sky Lounge.
Kishan Kalavadia, director, Sky Lounge, said, “We chose Bengaluru to be our destination as we know people here are ready for an adventure with good food. It is more of an adventurous experience.”Fly-dining is a structure supported by a crane, which can accommodate 22 people around the table and four staff at the centre. “As of now, we have only started the mocktail and dinner options. The mocktail session, which is for half-an-hour, starts from 5 pm while dinner commences at 7 pm and will be for one hour. Limited supply of alcohol, only foreign brands, will be provided for extra charge,” said Kalavadia.
Explaining that there are strict guidelines which need to be followed, Avinash said the primary rule is that the visitor should not weigh more than 150 kg. While children below the age of 13 will not be allowed, the minimum height required is 145 cm. Customers are not allowed to take bags on board, but phones are permitted. If something does get dropped, there’s a “safety” area below.
“Not only is the table supported by 16 huge metal ropes (and just one of them can hold it up on its own), but it is designed and tested by the global provider of technical, safety and certification services TÜV Rheinland. It boasts of a 100% safety record, and you are harnessed and strapped in,” he said.
The diners are expected to pre-book and reach the venue 15 minutes before the dinner as they will be shown a pre-recorded video about the experience and also explained about the brief history of the company. “Just a quick word to a crew member about any kind of emergency will bring you down in five minutes. A health professional is also part of the crew,” Avinash added.