The Ritual Dinner began in 2017 as a gathering within Ritual Gatherings.
One long table, set at sunset, near the sea.
What started as a moment between friends many years ago has grown into something more: an evolving expression of what it means to share food, to gather, to belong.
Today, it unfolds as Shrine Dining:
a new way of experiencing food as ritual, connection, and meaning.
Created together with L’Instant Catering, more tables will soon be set in stunning locations.
But this is where it all began.
Ritual Dinner tickets cannot be purchased separately.
They become available as an add-on after selecting your festival ticket.
Already have a ticket for the festival?
Email us at dinner@ritualgatherings.com to add the experience.
the idea
The Ritual Dinner is our modern shrine to the oldest human act: breaking bread together.
An intentional gathering around the table, where food becomes ceremony,
strangers become friends, and friends become family.
At our Shrine Dining table, food is treated with reverence.
Attention is given to every ingredient, every hand that touches it, and every person present.
Because food is never just food. It carries where it comes from, and the people who bring it to life.
The table becomes a shared altar. An invitation to be present, to honor where food comes from, and to celebrate who we share it with.
the experience
Set on the cliffs of Cape Akra, with the sea stretching endlessly below, The Ritual Dinner brings together around 100 people at one long, shared table.
As the sun begins to set, the space slowly transforms.
Courses unfold with intention – each one telling a story of origin, care, and craft.
But the experience goes beyond what’s on the plate.
It lives in conversations between strangers, in the laughter that travels across the table, in the quiet moments of presence that arise in between.
Half of it is the food, its depth, its origin, the hands that prepared it.
The other half is something less tangible: culture, meaning, connection.
A shared moment that lingers long after the last course is served.
the chef
Chef Antoine Verhaest trained in hospitality and culinary management in Brittany, France, before refining his craft across some of the world’s most dynamic culinary scenes – from Paris to Melbourne, Montreal, and Dubai.
Along the way, he has worked in Michelin-starred environments, top-ranked restaurants, and was part of the culinary team at the Olympic Village during the Vancouver Olympic Games – experiences that shaped both his precision and his adaptability at scale.
In Sofia, he founded L’Instant, a restaurant that quickly earned its place among the city’s most distinctive culinary experiences, and later evolved into L’Instant Boutique Catering, where gastronomy becomes a fully immersive, sensory experience.
Antoine’s cooking is driven by a simple belief: that food has the power to connect, to express, and to create lasting emotions.
“Cooking is a language through which we create harmony, express ourselves, and tell stories of different cultures. The reason for cooking is happiness – the kind that can stay with you for a lifetime.”
Ritual Dinner tickets cannot be purchased separately.
They become available as an add-on after selecting your festival ticket.
Already have a ticket for the festival?
Email us at dinner@ritualgatherings.com to add the experience.