Charleston, SC-Where The Sky Is The Limit

Charleston is an awesome city for sightseeing. There is history at every turn of the corner and a tour dedicated to assisting you in reliving that history for a brief moment.

As you walk its streets, you are surrounded by the gentle chaos of tourism at its best. horse drawn carriages prowl the cobbled streets, groups led by knowledgeable guides crowd the corners, families and couples scurry about looking in the windows of its small shops or patiently stand in long lines for an opportunity to eat at one of Charleston's signature restaurants.

Now, imagine you are looking down from 165 ft. in the air at this menagerie of human activity. From that vantage point, you would have a birds-eye view of the popular rooftop bar on the Pavilion Hotel gracefully overshadowing the famous landmark called the Old Market. In the near distance, the South Carolina Aquarium glistens in the sun and the salty bay waters lick the docks where the cruise ship Fantasy resides when in port. Across the rolling water stands old Fort Sumter like a proud sentinel at the edge of Charleston Bay between Sullivan's Island and Morris Island. As you scan back to the waterfront, the many diverse rooftops of the majestic old homes along East Battery come into view culminating at Battery Park. St. Matthew's Church, Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, Rainbow Row, Dockstreet Theater, and Meeting Street trailing like a cement river are all within view.

Now, imagine yourself looking down from 165 ft. in the air at all of this real estate having dinner. That would be a unique experience, and for the right price within the realm of possible. A Belgian based novelty restaurant called "one of the world's ten most unusual restaurants" can make that once in a lifetime, unique and unforgettable dining experience possible. In May 2006, Hakuna Matata, a communication agency specialized in gourmet pleasures, and The Fungroup, a company specialized in amusement park installations deploying cranes, joined forces: a flying dinner table which served as the venue for 22 Young European Restaurant Owners to don their white chef’s hat. It is an idea called Dinner in the Sky.

Brussels

Dinner in the Sky is now operating in over 60 countries above some of the most famous landmarks with many of the worlds top chefs and has gained official authorization from the toughest countries, including France, Canada, Australia and Israel. Michelin three-star chef Alain Passard of L'Arpege, a famous restaurant in Paris, prepared a special dinner party in the sky above the stunning Cathedrale d'Amiens, also called Notre-Dame d'Amiens, which is located in the city of Amiens a little over 100 kilometers north of Paris. Other cities include Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Madrid, London, Dublin, Dubai, andLas Vegas. This is a schedule of upcoming events.

Dinner in the Sky is hosted on a platform of 22 people suspended at a height of 160 to 180 ft by a crane. You are seated at tables with three staff in the middle (chef, waiter, entertainer) for a session of up to 8 hours. It can be divided or personalized according to the client’s wishes. An event can be held anywhere (golf course, public place, race track, castle, vineyard, historical site...) as long as there is a surface of approximately 500 square meters that can be secured. Of course, authorization by the owner is required. As far as cost goes, the same type of event as the one hosted by Passard with a star chef cooking above a famous U.S. landmark, like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls, would cost anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000, but in Las Vegas it is advertised at $289.00 per person.

This platform can also be used for Swing in the Sky, which gives golfers the incredible experience of playing their swing from 50 meters in the sky. Other events include Meeting in the Sky, Marriage in the Sky, Movie in the Sky, and Concert in the Sky.

Dinner in the Sky Movie

You can share a dinner or a glass of Champagne with friends while listening to the sounds of Ghanaian drummers; arrange a match of bridge or poker; sip Brandy while enjoying a fine Havana cigar; play a round of baccarat while being entertained by French Cancan dancers; participate in a quiz or a talk show broadcast live from the stars; attend a DJ jam session … all from an altitude of 50 meters.

Looking for something more down to earth? Charleston has a long and diverse list of restaurants to choose from. But what the heck, go for it. Do something extraordinary and book a Dinner in the Sky. You could be the talk of the town.

For more on Charleston restaurants and locations click here.