Put simply, experiential dining makes dining, well, an experience! This new trend is sweeping the restaurant industry, with innovative and unique dining experiences popping up every day all over the world. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the experiential dining trends.
Virtual Dining Experiences
Virtual alternatives to traditionally in-person experiences have long since been sweeping the nation. From business settings to entertainment, virtual experiences are becoming increasingly popular. Just take online casino games, for example. When roulette enthusiasts play Spin Till You Win online, they will join a live stream feed hosted by a real dealer around a physical roulette wheel. The dealer and players can all interact with one another in real time, through an online platform. This provides players with an authentic and immersive roulette experience, with room to play with additional features, elements, and graphics.
It may be no surprise, then, that foodies can also find virtual food experiences out there. There are two ways in which restaurants can approach this trend. Firstly, digital technologies such as augmented and virtual reality can be introduced into the dining experience. Diners don headsets to find out more about the dishes, or to interact with immersive features. Secondly, diners can get dishes or ingredients delivered to their homes. They then join a live video feed, conversing with diners, chefs, and ‘waiters’ through the internet. Either way, the combination of physical dining and digital technologies adds an extra layer to any restaurant experience.
Multi-Sensory Dining Experiences
It has long since been accepted that we don’t just eat with our mouths and tastebuds. In fact, according to an article from the Flavour Journal, it is frequently asserted that between 75% to 95% of what we think of as taste comes from our sense of smell. In addition to that, our experience is also impacted by the look or presentation of the food, the texture or feel of the ingredients, and the overall colour palette.
But what if we also told you that the lighting of a restaurant, the colour of our napkins and plates, and even the weight of the cutlery and glassware can also add to or detract from the enjoyment? That’s why multi-sensory dining aims to stimulate all the senses by considering every aspect of the experience, from the preparation of the food, to the way it’s eaten, and everything in between.
Themed Dining Experiences
We’ll end with the experiential dining trend that most people will be familiar with – themed dining. These experiences outdate the take-off of modern experiential dining, with themed restaurants like the Rainforest Cafe and Hard Rock Cafe still popular to this day.
However, some take this a step further, recreating environments that are fictional, historical, or not widely accessible – and The Travel says the UK has some of the best in the world. For a fully immersive experience, restaurant staff also serve as actors, serving the diners authentically to the theme. This draws diners into a comprehensive experience that provides both good food and entertainment in one.
And there you have it – just a few examples of experiential dining trends that everyone should experience. Are you hungry? All that’s left to do is tuck in and enjoy the immersive dining experience!
