Van Gogh cut off his ear for his art. Banksy shreds his work the second it sells. Even Andy Warhol once said everyone would be famous for 15 minutes (without noting the cost of such fam).
However, at Solander Dining and Bar, the sacrifice required tp embrace tour inner angtsy artist is considerably smaller: just show up hungry, ready to paint, and prepared to solve a riddle or two between courses.
From 31 July, West Hotel Sydney, Curio Collection by Hilton, becomes the first and only Sydney venue to host ‘7 Paintings – The Art of Dining’, the global immersive dinner show that’s already had diners the world over putting down their cutlery mid-course to pick up a brush instead. Think less “quiet degustation,” more Mona Lisa’s smile crossed with a full sensory production, and you’re somewhere in the vicinity.
Behind the concept is InterDine, the outfit responsible for immersive dining experiences across Europe, North America, Asia and now, finally, Australia. Their formula blends projection technology, live storytelling and music with genuinely excellent food – because if you’re going to make people rethink dinner, you may as well throw the whole gallery at them.
Running two hours across seven courses, each staged live at the table, diners are guided through the worlds of icons like Picasso, Michelangelo and Banksy. One course you might be channelling Van Gogh’s swirling brushwork over your starry-eyed entree; the next, getting the full Warhol repeat-and-reproduce treatment via elaborate table theatre. There’s painting, riddles and general creative chaos woven throughout, so leave any “I’m not an art person” excuses at the door. Banksy started out spray-painting walls under cover of darkness – nobody’s judging your technique here.
The kitchen, thankfully, isn’t just along for the ride as a backing act. Solander’s menu includes beef carpaccio with a herb-lime crust, truffle mayonnaise, olive soil and toasted olive bread; Australian barramundi with charred broccolini, potato fondant and a white wine beurre blanc; grilled beef tenderloin with Paris potato purée, glazed snow peas and red wine jus; and a burnt wattle seed crema with crisp kūmara, berries, brownie crumbs and salted caramel ice cream – proof the dessert course deserves its own spot on the gallery wall.
Sessions run Fridays and Sundays at 5.30pm and 8pm, priced at $179 per person, with an optional beverage pairing available for an extra $60pp.
“We’re thrilled to bring 7 Paintings to West Hotel this winter,” says Hotel Manager Nathan Kengike. “The experience is unlike anything Sydney has seen before – a true fusion of art, food and storytelling that will transform the way our guests think about dining.”
And because no proper gallery visit ends after just one course, guests who book the experience also score an exclusive discounted stay at the 182-room hotel – Australia’s first Curio Collection by Hilton property – turning what could’ve been a one-night masterpiece into a full weekend of gallery-hopping, minus the gift shop guilt or the Louvre-sized queues.
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