NYC Sensory Dinner
Dine with your senses in this engaging, private dining experience featuring a 4-course meal with beverage pairings, plus 3 sensory-forward activities like dining in the dark and audio lollipops.
Private Dining Experience in NYC that Invites You to Dine with Your Senses
Dinner, but make it a sensory experience. The Sensory Dinner is a four-course meal with three beverages and three sensory-forward activities. It’s your meal and your entertainment, all in one. Between courses, your dedicated host guides guests through the activities: dining completely blindfolded, decoding aromas like a seasoned sommelier, and finishing with flavor tripping and an audio lollipop. It’s the kind of unique event your group will be talking about long after the last course.
How it Works
“Did this as a team building and dinner event, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed.”
Gabrielle C. via Google
NYC Sensory Dinner
What’s Included
All of our NYC Sensory Dinner packages include the following:
Restaurant Venue
Expert Avital Emcee Host
3 Hands-On Activities
Including Dining in the Dark, Smell Like a Sommelier, and Flavor Tripping & Audio Lollipop
4+ Course Meal with 3 Beverage Pairings
Including Amuse Bouche, Appetizers, Entree, and Dessert. Alcoholic or High-Quality NA Alternatives
Where is It?
Choose your preferred restaurant from among our network of partner venues throughout the city. Our restaurants are also curated to be within walking distance from your office or key corporate meeting centers.
Il Fiorista
Il Fiorista, West 26th Street, New York, NY, USA
Aquavit
Aquavit, East 55th Street, New York, NY, USA
Benoit
Benoit New York, West 55th Street, New York, NY, USA
Mermaid Inn
Mermaid Oyster Bar Times Square, West 43rd Street, New York, NY, USA
Blue Fin
Blue Fin, Broadway, NYC, NY, USA
Michael’s
Michael's New York, West 55th Street, NYC, NY, USA
La Pecora Bianca – Nomad
La Pecora Bianca NoMad, Broadway, New York, NY, USA
La Pecora Bianca – Bryant Park
La Pecora Bianca Bryant Park, West 40th Street, New York, NY, USA
La Pecora Bianca – Soho
La Pecora Bianca SoHo, Prince Street, New York, NY, USA
Supper
Supper, East 2nd Street, NYC, NY, USA
Vin Sur Vingt
Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar – NOMAD, Broadway, New York, NY, USA
Grandma’s Home
Grandma's Home u5916u5a46u5bb6, West 22nd Street, New York, NY, USA
Bottino
BOTTINO | modern italian dining | garden | events, 10th Avenue, New York, NY, USA
ATLA
ATLA Noho, Lafayette Street, New York, NY, USA
Meama
MEAMA Georgian Kitchen | Wine Bar, 2nd Avenue, New York, NY, USA
Same Same
Same Same Wine Bar, West 47th Street, New York, NY, USA
Ammazza Cafe
Ammazzacaffu00e8, Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY, USA
MáLà Project
Mu00e1Lu00e0 Project Bryant Park, West 46th Street, New York, NY, USA
MáLà Project – Greenpoint
Mu00e1Lu00e0 Project Greenpoint, Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Empellon
Empellon, Madison Avenue, New York, NY, USA
We Work with The Best
All of our partners not only serve outstanding food and drinks, but have numerous awards (think Michelin Starred and Michelin Bib Gourmand, James Beard Nominees, and Eater’s Top 38), and a staff committed to guest engagement who understand group and corporate needs.
Vin Sur Vingt
Tapas-style French fare with abundant wine list from the mind of Sebastian Auvet, a Parisian wine enthusiast, drawing inspiration from his grandmother
Grandma’s Home
Authentic Chinese cooking from the Hangzhou region in a warm and welcoming space
Supper
Cozy Michelin Bib Gourmand Italian Restaurant from Frank Prisinzano with multiple private dining rooms
Empellon
Mexican-influenced contemporary American cuisine Awarded 3 Stars by NYTimes and James Beard Finalist for Best New Restaurant
Mermaid Inn
Delightful Seafood and Oyster Bar in Times Square good for large groups
Il Fiorista
Michelin Recommended Floral-themed Restaurant with trendy chic vibes and private dining
Blue Fin
Seafood and Sushi restaurant in the heart of Times Square good for large groups
Aquavit
Seasonal Nordic Cuisine in Midtown Manhattan awarded Two Michelin Stars
Benoit
Michelin Recommended restaurant from world renowned Chef Alain Ducasse
Bottino
Tuscan cooking and boutique wines from Executive Chef/Partner Jamie Kenyon of Eataly and Bar Boulad
Michael’s
Elegant and Upscale art-adorned California Fine Dining Restaurant
ATLA
From Michelin Bib Gourmand and James Beard nominated Chef, Daniela Soto-Innes
Meama
Elevated Georgian cuisine from woman-owned restaurant
Ammazza Café
Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant serving up under-the-radar Italian dishes
Same Same
High-end seasonal bar fare from Chef David Sullivan in trendy and stylish Midtown spot
MáLà Project
Cozy and hip Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant featuring elevated Szechwan cuisine (with lower spice levels!)
Custom Venue
Looking for a certain cuisine or location? We’ll onboard a new, custom venue, just for your event
How Does Pricing Work?
We have simplified the pricing to three all inclusive price points to choose from:
Classic Package (Casual Dining)
$190 + $60 Service/Gratuity Per Person = $250 Per Person
Premium Package (Upscale Dining)
$290 + $60 Service/Gratuity Per Person = $350 Per Person
Deluxe Package (Fine Dining)
$390 + $85 Service/Gratuity Per Person = $475 Per Person
Inclusivity & Diversity
Inclusivity
We accommodate all dietary restrictions so everyone in your group feels cared for and full!
Substitute alcoholic beverage pairings with high-quality non-alcoholic alternatives, including a hands-on zero-proof (no alcohol) cocktail making experience.
Diversity
Celebrate Diversity with themed content, such as: Black History Month, Juneteenth, Pride, LGBTQIA+, AAPI Month, Women in Business (Psst! We’re a woman-owned business!) and more. ❤️🦾 🏳️🌈 ✊🏿 🏳️⚧️
Have a specific theme in mind? Let us know!
Upgrades & Add-ons
Branded Print Materials
Add your logo to printed event materials, like the menus and cocktail recipe cards
1 Hour Networking Time & 1 Extra Cocktail
An extra hour to mingle, plus an additional beverage of your choice (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
Client Entertainment Package
Including name tags, assigned seating, and time for your presentation
Dietary Restrictions
We can accommodate all dietary restrictions on private group dining experiences. You will be asked to submit your group’s dietary restrictions one week before the private dining event. If you are unsure if we can accommodate your restriction, please ask your Avital Culinary Curator during the booking process.
Run of Show
1: Meet Expert Host, Welcome Drink & Amuse Bouche
Guests are welcomed to the restaurant by their Avital Host before enjoying a delicious welcome drink and amuse bouche as they mix and mingle.
2: Dining in the Dark-Style Appetizer
Appetizer is eaten in complete darkness to awaken sense of taste!
3: Seasonal Entree & Beverage Pairing
Take a seat at your reserved tables for a seasonal entreé course and another perfectly paired beverage as you chat and connect.
4: Smell Like a Sommelier
Guests train their nose to identify aromas using professional sommelier kits.
5: Dessert Course
We hope you saved room for the delicious dessert course and more time for authentic engagement.
6: Flavor Tripping & Audio Lollipops
The experience ends with a special, perspective-shifting flavor finale featuring flavor tripping and audio lollipops.
Why Choose Avital for Your NYC Private Dining Experience?
- Expertly Hosted: Our NYC Sensory Dinner is hosted by an on-site, vetted and trained, expert Avital Emcee Host. You can sit back and enjoy as your host takes care of all the logistics with rich storytelling and group engagement throughout.
- Unique & Memorable: Easier than a cooking class, but more exciting than just booking a table. A cool new alternative to traditional dining!
- Experienced Team: A full support team to ensure a turnkey booking and seamless experience from start to finish.
- Designed for Connection: The Sensory Dinner creates the perfect balance of authentic conversation and curated experience.
- Customizable: Inclusive, accessible, and customizable to a variety of use cases, from small team gatherings to large, multi-city events.
- Dietary Restriction Friendly: We understand dietary restrictions and want everyone to leave feeling cared for and full! We’ll ask for your restrictions after booking.
Yes and No. Our engaging private dining experiences feature the best “peak” moments of a cocktail class, blended with the pampering and enjoyment of a prix fixe tasting experience. The perfect balance of time to mingle and connect (aka relax and enjoy!) and time to get hands-on (aka learn and engage!)
Yes, each private dining event includes at minimum four courses (amuse bouche, appetizers, entree, dessert) plus three beverages (welcome beverage, hands-on cocktail, entree wine pairing). Choose our Interactive Meal package for a full and satisfying meal, great for lunch or dinner!
Our pricing already includes applicable taxes! For private events, Classic and Premium packages have a $60 per person private event service charge. Deluxe packages have an $85 per person private event service charge. This helps ensure we can tip the staff for larger/private groups. No surprise “booking fees” or hidden extras.
It’s okay! We can accommodate dietary restrictions and requests for non-alcoholic substitute beverages – including mocktails for hands-on drink experiences. Requests MUST be submitted by the deadline (1 week prior to event.) Extra requests submitted after the deadline, especially day-of will be accommodated as best as possible, but may incur additional charges.
That’s okay! You can still book to reserve your date/time with an estimate and adjust later. We accommodate changes of +/- 10% from your original number. Ask your curator if you need special arrangements for larger changes.
We’ll send your confirmed meeting address 1 week prior to your event date, after we receive your final guest list and dietary restrictions info. The menu itself is a prix fixe seasonal menu, revealed as part of the experience itself as it unfolds. You can read about example featured food+drink in our proposal to understand the caliber and style of dishes and cocktails we highlight.
You certainly can, but you may not feel the need! Our private dining events includes 3 beverage pairings per person. For a 2-2.5 hour experience, we don’t recommend additional alcoholic beverage pairings. But you’re welcome to start a tab if you’d like to!
Yes! We accept rush bookings. If you’re looking to book a last-minute event, reach out to us and we’ll do our best to make it happen. Rush charges may apply.
How to Book Your Private Event
1: Explore Packages
Download the PDF proposal to view packages and pricing for each experience. Still have questions? Schedule a call with your Culinary Curator.
2: Start Your Booking
Submit your event details to get started. Upon submission, you’ll also have the option to make an initial, refundable deposit to reserve your date right away.
3: Finalize Details
A real human will be in touch to finalize your event details, like confirming your package, how to submit request for dietary or alcohol accommodations, and when your final headcount is due.
Start Your Private Booking
