At the New York City Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant, Icca, diners are transported from the intimate wood-paneled space into another world via virtual reality (VR) headsets. Epic.Now is an omakase experience where one-third of the dining session is paired with technology to offer an additional sensorial journey. "Fine dining is about connection—about people coming together over something extraordinary,” says Nikolai Popov, co-founder of Epic.Now, “Technology should enhance that, not replace it."

Epic.Now launched on February 16, 2025, and already the feedback from guests has been “truly special” co-founder Elizaveta Petrova shares with VML Intelligence. One guest called it a “sensory nirvana” whilst another described it as “the future of gastronomy.” Epic.Now takes diners on an adventure by blurring the lines between “dining and dreaming,” allowing for a more emotionally connected experience that can be personalized depending how the individual may want to navigate their VR surroundings.

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Epic.Now VR dining experience at Icca, New York City

Meanwhile, in Dubai, Zenon restaurant uses artificial intelligence (AI) to blend fine dining and tech-driven entertainment for a multi-sensory experience. Digital installations around the restaurant adapt to the surrounding ambience in real-time and quite literally put on a show for diners. The restaurant first opened its doors in October 2023 and promises that no two visits are the same, as they continually evolve the experience.

At a time when 2024 VML Intelligence data shows that 18% of people globally are spending less on eating out and entertainment, restaurants are pairing novel experiences with fine dining to give people a reason to visit their establishment over others.

Restaurants have long been finding ways to incorporate technology into dining experiences. 3D mapping dining experience, Le Petit Chef, first launched in 2015 and its popularity has garnered global success, with 89 venues around the world in the past decade. And Sublimotion in Ibiza has been pairing VR with a 12-course menu by Michelin-starred chef Paco Roncero since 2014.

Looking ahead, Shreyas Kadam, head chef at Mumbai’s luxury restaurant Amaru told Elle magazine that tech-enhanced dining experiences will continue to shape the food landscape. “In 2025, chefs and entrepreneurs will likely leverage AI for personalized meal recommendations or interactive dining, and robots or automation tools could assist in food preparation and service.”

Fine dining continues to wow and impress guests with not only a unique and delicious menu, but with advanced technology that can add a sensorial dimension to the overall experience, ensuring a memorable, one-of-a-kind gastronomic journey worth splashing out on.

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