Dinner in the Sky coming to Ottawa in 2017

If you ever wanted to gaze over the Parliament Buildings from above while sipping bubbly and nibbling gourmet delights, now's your chance.

Or, more precisely, August 2017 will be your chance.

That's when Ottawa will be home to a "Dinner in the Sky" experience as part of the city's 2017 celebrations.

Using amusement park technology, a long table that seats 22 is hoisted 50 metres into the air using a crane. Guests are then served dinner in the clouds by fearless waiters. The entire contraption has a canopy to protect diners — who are strapped into their seats — from rain and gifts from passing birds.

Guy LaFlamme, who's heading the city's 2017 celebrations, said he's never dined in the sky himself, but described it as a "very very very safe experience but an adrenaline rush as you're experiencing some of the best food that Ottawa can offer."

There will be multiple seatings. Every day for a week in August, five dinners and six tapas-cocktail events will take place. The prices haven't been finalized, but they will likely be in the hundreds of dollars. Dinner in the Sky Las Vegas costs around $300.

And it's not clear yet exactly where the so-called sky lounge will be located.

Laflamme promises unparalleled views of the capital.

"It's going to be a first in Ottawa and since our vistas and panoramas in Ottawa are second to none — the most spectacular — so this will be really the ultimate dining experience as part of 2017." 

On Friday, the Ottawa 2017 office put out a call for expressions of interests from restaurateurs and catering companies willing to to partner with the project. Laflamme said Ottawa 2017 is looking for entire or partial donations of service to keep the cost of the event a bit more affordable.

Tickets should go on sale in about five or six weeks.