Everything in the universe is in motion. Planets orbit stars, moons circle planets, galaxies hurtle through space. And yet, at dinner parties, we’re still expected to sit bolt upright beside the same person for three courses. Bompas & Parr, the experiential design studio with a talent for making the improbable deliciously tangible, are putting that right.
Enter The Gastrolabe: Planetary Carousel of Conviviality, a four-night dining experience landing at London’s Space House this November. Its centrepiece is a remarkable revolving table, constructed from three independently rotating sections that move in relation to one another throughout the evening. As the sections turn, so do the social constellations around them. Dinner companions shift, sightlines change and new alignments emerge. Think celestial mechanics, with cutlery.
Before dinner, guests can explore the celestial journey through contemporary sculpture and immersive planetary elements against near 360 degree panoramic views of London. Featuring works by Louis Thompson, Jo Dennis, Léa Porré and Laurence Edwards, the exhibition explores materiality, transformation and humanity's relationship with the natural world.
The premise is as beguiling as it is faintly surreal: what happens when the movement of heavenly bodies becomes the organising principle of a dinner party?
Rather than remaining fixed in their appointed places, guests become part of a living planetary system, their positions continually rearranged by the table’s choreography. Gravitational attraction may be a force of nature, but a little engineered rotation could prove just as useful for sparking conversation.
The Gastrolabe seating plan
And then there is the food. A sumptuous three-course meal sits at the heart of the two-hour experience, bringing gastronomy into the same orbit as astronomy, physics, music and geometry.
From delicate bream crudo with agua de tigre and green crystals to rich duck confit with white bean and chicory, culminating in a galactic orb of brown butter sponge, crystallised thyme custard and caramelised apple.
Drinks, meanwhile, have been designed specifically for the event, with an optional wine pairing for those who prefer their cosmic explorations with a little vinous assistance. The closing evening, Astrology in Orbit, promises a further twist, with planetary symbolism informing its bespoke drinks menu.
As London unfolds beneath guests, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and St Paul’s provide a rather fitting terrestrial counterpoint to the celestial drama above. It’s difficult to imagine a better setting for contemplating our place in the universe, preferably with a glass in hand.
The venue, too, has its own cosmic credentials. Space House, the Grade II-listed landmark designed by Richard Seifert & Partners, was home to the Civil Aviation Authority from 1975 to 2019. Since 2021, the CAA has also been the UK’s space regulator. From aviation to the cosmos, the building’s history seems to have been following its own trajectory.
Space House, the Grade II-listed landmark designed by Richard Seifert & Partners.
Each evening brings a different alignment: 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th November 2026 (3rd sold out, waitlist only) and of course the 5th offers a vista of London’s fireworks in the background as an added incentive.
In an age of algorithmically curated encounters, there is something wonderfully human about surrendering to a little orbital uncertainty. You cannot choose every encounter, dictate every alignment or predict who might enter your gravitational field. But you can sit down, share a meal and see where the universe takes you.
The Gastrolabe, Space House, 1 Kemble Street, London WC2B 4AN. Tickets are £78 per person, including a three-course meal and immersive art. Drinks and optional wine pairing available at additional cost, with a complimentary Johnnie Walker mini Manhattan with dessert. Advance booking is essential: book here.
