High-end dining is rising to new heights. A Boston-area entrepreneur says he is launching the first U.S. branch of Dinner in the Sky, a Belgian company that offers above-ground dining at lofty prices.

Dinner in the Sky features seating for 22 from a unique perspective – a table hoisted 180 feet into the air by a crane.

Guests are strapped into leather seats, while waiters can stand in an aisle at the center of the table. The table and crane are currently housed in an 18-wheeler in Las Vegas. But for prices starting at $35,000, co-owner Michael Gallant says dinner can be served anywhere in the U.S.

"Some people have compared it to eating on the top floor of a skyscraper with no walls and no floors," said Mr. Gallant, 31. "The best way to describe it is dinner amongst the clouds."

Mr. Gallant and co-owner Taj Jordan were attracted to Dinner in the Sky after finding out about the concept at an amusement park trade show in Orlando, Fla., last November. Mr. Gallant also owns Perfect Parties USA, an interactive game rental company based in Peabody, Mass.

Dangling while dining may not appeal to some people, but it is "extremely" safe, Mr. Gallant said.

It was built to German safety specifications that "supersede some of the safety standards we have in the States," he said.

Still, the company carries a $10 million insurance policy.

And to operate in a city such as Boston, there would be "extensive permitting and extensive public safety issues that the city would have to look into before we could determine whether or not Boston would be someplace [Dinner in the Sky] could do business," said Patricia Malone, commissioner of consumer affairs and licensing.

The company handles any necessary permits for its events.

The basic package does not include food or a catering staff. Guests can opt for their own catering service or pay Dinner in the Sky to arrange the meal.

Mr. Gallant said prices vary by party size and type of service. Most of the food is prepared on the ground, with finishing touches added in the air.

Diners who need to use the restroom are instructed to raise their hand, a signal for the crane to be lowered, which takes one minute. The company arranges for restroom facilities.

Despite its name, Dinner in the Sky offers more than food-focused parties.

Mr. Gallant said it is also available for meetings, which can be customized with special lighting, heating, sound, plasma television screens, branding and sponsorship opportunities.

Forbes magazine named the company among the world's 10 most unusual restaurants. Developed in Brussels in 2006, Dinner in the Sky has tables in about 20 nations, including Italy, Turkey and South Africa.

Elizabeth Campbell,

Boston Globe

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