Five senses, one unforgettable experience

Soft chords of a French chanson fill the dining room, while warm, dimmed lights envelop the guests in a cosy atmosphere. The aroma of freshly baked baguettes, melted butter and Provençal herbs fills the air. Works of art on the walls transport the senses to sunny vineyards and fragrant lavender fields. What guests experience here is no coincidence - it is a multi-sensory gastronomic concept that takes them on a sensory journey through the French way of life. Doesn't sound so elaborate? It doesn't have to be. The focus of multisensory gastronomy is on appealing to all the senses and enhancing the flavour experience through visual, acoustic, haptic and olfactory stimuli. But multisensory gastronomy can do much more - with creative concepts, restaurateurs take their guests on a journey into completely new worlds.

Multi-sensory staging

Guests dine in a futuristic space station while their gaze falls through panoramic windows 220 miles above the earth. What appears to be a culinary journey into space is an illusion. In reality, guests are in "Space 220" in Orlando. Every single aspect of the restaurant is designed around the theme of space travel, from the spatial staging to the menu design. What happens in space in Orlando is transferred directly to the plate at the English "The Fat Duck" in Bray: the "Sound of the Sea" dish, for example, combines edible sand and seafood with the sounds of waves and seagulls. Away from the plate, towards the staged table cook. Technological innovations do not stop at multi-sensory culinary experiences either: the restaurant chain "Le Petit Chef" projects a virtual chef at the table. While the animated chef prepares dishes in front of the guests, the waiting time flies by.

The most common pitfalls in multisensory gastronomy:

• ❗❗ Excessive scents that mask the flavours of the food.
• ❗❗ Music that is too loud and makes conversation difficult.
• ❗❗ Light sources that dazzle or cast unpleasant shadows.
• ❗❗ Overly elaborate decoration that crushes the atmosphere.
• ❗❗ Lack of harmony between the sensory impressions, e.g. cold lighting in a cosily designed room.

The mix makes the overall impression

Multisensory gastronomy can focus on a complete presentation or specifically pick out individual stimuli. For example, how does the flavour of a dish change when you can't see it? This is exactly where dark restaurants come in: By removing the sense of sight as the dominant stimulus, flavour, smell and texture come to the fore. At the "Unsicht-Bar" in Berlin, guests eat their food in complete darkness - every bite is perceived more intensely as colours and shapes no longer play a role. While this concept deliberately minimises one sense, other approaches focus on the simultaneous activation of different senses. At Luzifer in Eckernförde, a historic granary, the open, circular live kitchen forms the centrepiece of the dining room. The aroma of freshly prepared food mingles with the flavour of the in-house coffee roastery - a classic multi-sensory experience that combines sight, smell and taste. The combination of atmosphere, aromas and the direct preparation of the dishes not only creates a special atmosphere, but also encourages interaction between guests and the kitchen.

Little effort, great experience

While some restaurants deliberately focus on a complete sensory experience, others show that multi-sensory experiences can be created with minimal effort. In Hamburg harbour, for example, the waves break on the quayside of the Landungsbrücken while maritime sounds emanate from the "Blockbräu". With Hanseatic brewery cuisine and sea shanties, the traditional restaurant invites guests to immerse themselves in Hamburg's harbour atmosphere. The restaurant "Bastion Marie" in Kronach in the south of Germany focuses not on sounds but on visual stimuli. Regional flower arrangements emphasise the typical regional cuisine and create a connection to the Franconian landscape. This shows that it doesn't always have to be elaborate. It is often obvious, but deliberately used sensory impressions that create a special atmosphere