Have you ever done an immersive dining experience, where art, story-telling and 3d graphics were intertwined? We drove up to the Shangri La one Friday evening to review Seven Paintings, over a much awaited date night.
Here’s what Seven Paintings is all about.
Hang on, where in the Shangrila is this?
Hand the keys off to valet, and pop up to the 2nd floor of the Shangrila.
Seven Paintings is held in a dining room which you will find, on the left hand side as you head towards the main lobby direction. It’s all quite hush hush, dark and secretive which does add to the whole experience. Walk in and you will find a little sign with Mona Lisa and ‘Seven Paintings’ on it, with an intimate dining area with just a few tables, enclosed behind dark curtains.
What exactly happens during dinner in Seven Paintings?
The 2-hour dinner experience is like a dinner ‘with a show‘ – except the show is right there in front of you – on the table and on the walls. You are immersed in this world of art, music and story-telling. The team uses 3d graphic technology to project moving graphics on every element present – from a canvas, to a plate, to a frame, and ‘other objects’. Wink wink, keeping it exciting for you.
The best bit for us was that – eventhough I had seen some videos of the experience on social media, you don’t fully experience it unless you are actually there. The whole element of surprise was what made it so exciting for us. What’s coming? What’s next?
How do I do a review without spoiling it for you? 🙂 Maybe you should stop reading and skip to the bottom bit….
What sorta food do you get at Seven Paintings?
Food artist and molecular gastronomist Omar Sartawi, together with Executive Chef, Daniel Sheperd has carefully curated 7 dishes, all based on 7 pieces of art. There is a bit of Michelangelo, moving onto the controversial Banksy, then Pablo Picasso. There’s Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí, ending the evening with the starry starry nights of Vincent van Gogh.
Food is ‘found’ via clues, presented on the table via different means of art. We loved every bit of it – the vegan filo tart, tuna carpaccio, ceviche, the beef cheek and even the baked potato white chocolate souffle.
Yes – you do leave with a full tummy. Well, we did, anyways 🙂
Have a browse through the Seven Paintings menu here (Vegan options, available)
Overall Thoughts
If you want a different sort of date night and don’t mind splurging – do Seven Paintings.
It was so much fun for us, the whole story-telling process, learning about art, wondering what was coming next, how they incorporate art with food itself. You solve clues (not that it was very difficult), you paint, you construct your own dessert from a box, it was just so many elements of ‘something different’.
And if all that makes no sense to you, have a look at the video here. Add it to your Dubai Bucket List.
- Seven Paintings @ Shangrila Dubai
- Every Thurs, Fri and Sunday : 8-10pm
- More details on website
Disclaimer : We were guests of the Shangrila to review the Seven Paintings Dining Experience.
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