Different Kinds of Dining: Brussels Edition

One of the latest crazes amongst the travelling set is what I like to call "Storybook Travelling." Or perhaps "Tale Travelling"?** What I mean is that 99% of the travelers I come across are in it for the "story." They are no longer content with the standard Paris city tour highlighting Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe. Been there. Done that. "Luke & Jenna - you know, from work? They did that. We need to top them." No. They want to walk through the underground crypts. Or take a painting class at the Louvre.

Same goes for restaurants. The hole in the wall you read about in Le Monde (with the help of Google Translate, of course) just won't do it. Even the weekend dinner club, "Hidden Kitchen," isn't enough ("It's been covered in the Times, it's SO 2010. What else do you got?").

On the one hand, this attitude can be a bit irritating. Seriously?? The Musee d'Orsay isn't good enough for you? Seriously??What more do you want from me? But at the same time, it's kind of awesome. It forces you to approach travel in a new way. To look for an experience rather than just tick sights off a list. Maybe even make a few lasting memories.

With this in mind, I started looking for interesting, off the wall dining experiences in my neck of the woods and, much to my surprise, Brussels had more than it's fair share of storybook-worthy offerings:

1. Would you like some wine with your view? (Dinner in the Sky)

Frequent readers of the popular blogs, Cup of Joe and Black Eiffel, will probably be rolling there eyes and thinking "Been there, clicked that," BUT, in case you haven't read about it already, here are the details:

Belgian based company, Events in the Sky, enables 22 lucky (and height loving!) individuals to have a 3 course meal with an exceptional view... from 50 meters above the ground. A table is held aloft by a crane and can be placed in a number of spots around Belgium (or in one of the 30+ countries the company now serves) for spectacular views of the the surrounding area. In the pictures from their Belgian events, the crane was placed outside the Atomiom and most certainly afforded the diners a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

(courtesy Dinner in the Sky website)

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Fun fact:



You can also get married in the sky and then bungee jump as newlyweds! Such a shame I didn't see this until now...

Site: www.dinnerinthesky.com

Price: Who knows? This is a group-only type deal that you must reserve in advance. Perhaps you can pitch it your boss as a "Team Building" exercise?

2. Belgian Geometry: Square meal in a cube on an arch. (Electrolux "Cube")

Kind of like the travelling version of Paris' Nomiya restaurant, Electrolux is bringing it's "Cube" (sidenote: why does Paris get the exotic-sounding "Nomiya" and we get the "Cube"??) restaurant to Brussels. From March 25-July 3rd, diners will get to sample gourmet food atop one of Brussels' gems, the Arc de Triomphe in Parc du Cinquantenaire. From their website:

Overlooking the beautiful Parc du Cinquantenaire, 18 diners will share an
unforgettable and inspiring evening. Come and join them in Brussels, and enjoy
the latest gourmet creations from culinary directors Bart de Pooter, chef of
restaurant De Pastorale in Reet and Sang Hoon Degeimbre of L’Air Du Temps in
Noville-sur-Mehaigne at an once-in-a-lifetime dining event.

(amazing photo via Flickr user PixGraphix)

Site: http://www.electrolux.be/Cube/Cube/

Price: 150 Euros for lunch, 200 Euros for dinner. Um, ouch. Maybe next time for us...

3. Dining in the dark? www.Only4Senses.com
[Oh shoot! Just as I hit "publish" I learned that this is no longer a dining option... I will try to find a 3rd/4th offering for Brussels and share it later]

** Which sounds better? Or do you have a suggestion for a better description of this trend? It's seriously bugging me that I don't have a short, cute little title for it...