Europe's Unique Fine Dining Amusement Park Ride Is A Mouth-Watering Immersive Mystery Tour

If you're a thrill seeker and a food lover who likes looking for little known European destinations, you should put Rust, Germany at the top of your list. This small city is near the border of France and Switzerland, about two hours drive from Zurich and about an hour from Strasbourg, an inviting riverfront city. Rust is home to Europa-Park, one of the highest rated theme parks in Europe, and along with all the rides and attractions, you can find Eatrenalin, a can't-miss restaurant for foodies. This is no ordinary fine dining restaurant. It bills itself on its website as "nothing less than the most exciting gastronomy experience in the world, which engages all your senses and takes you on fantastic journeys." Here's what you need to know.

It first opened in November 2022, and it has rave reviews online. It was the brainchild of Oliver Altherr and Thomas Mack, who were inspired by Voleraium, a Europa-Park ride that virtually flies guests over Europe. The goal is to give people so much more than just a meal; there's a sense of awe and amazement as all your senses are catered to. You'll be seated in a "Floating Chair" for about two hours, which will smoothly move you through a variety of themed rooms: ocean, outer space, and more. The rooms are designed to be fully immersive with stunning audio-visual elements as you're served an eight course dinner.

As for the food at Eatrenalin, expect ingredients like black truffle, prawns, glazed duck breast, fermented ginger, and more (not all in one dish!).  You get to choose from either the "Red Dimension" or the "Green Dimension" (meat options or vegetarian options). They'll also cater to specific food allergies; just make sure you note any issues when you book your dinner.

Prices for dinner at Eatrenalin start from around $265. If you're celebrating something special or you're a wine connoisseur, you can also go all out for their Champagne Dinner or Sommelier Dinner. They also have a Late Night drinks experience, consisting of 90 minutes in the Floating Chair where you'll enjoy custom cocktails (non-alcoholic options available), snacks, and live entertainment for around $140.

Eatrenalin is open Thursday through Monday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. You'll book for a specific timed entry; don't be late! Dinner itself takes around two hours, but they recommend that you leave yourself three hours; you can enjoy the lounge shortly before dinner and then the bar at the end.

While the Eatrenalin dinner experiences can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter what language they speak, dinner seatings are in either French or German and Late Night is in English. There are some spaces in the experience where you can take pictures, but never any video; it's nice in some ways to be forced to stay off your phone and simply be in the moment without trying to capture it. It also helps to add mystery and surprise to the whole thing; there aren't any social media posts that show you everything that's going to happen.

They expect you to dress up a bit; no tank tops, tracksuits, shorts, flip-flops, or Crocs (among other things). After all, this is no ordinary dinner, so you shouldn't dress like it is. Keep that in mind if you're planning to spend the day exploring the park and you're not staying on-site — you may want to bring a change of clothes. 

If you really want to go all out when it comes to immersive experiences, you can book a room at the nearby Krønasår Hotel. It's designed like a natural history museum, and it has room packages that include discounted entry to Eatrenalin.