I went to a new immersive dinner experience in NYC, and it was a feast for the senses

Have you ever watched a food documentary and wished you could try it all for yourself? Welp, The Infinite Table says you can.

While these nonfiction films have a lot of influence on our own travel bucket lists—it can’t just be me, right?—this immersive experience takes that side effect up about 10 notches. Held inside a specially constructed theater within ArtXNYC (409 W 14th St), dinner guests will find themselves at a long shared table on a group trip they forgot to pack for. This month, the experience is “Oaxaca: tierra y tiempo,” which explores the people and foodways of Oaxaca, Mexico. From the sights to the smells and, of course, the bites, here’s my thoughts on The Infinite Table.

The experience:

First of all, you’re sitting in the center of the documentary—a collection of interviews with five Oaxacan chefs and merchants who each specialize in a different local staple. Thanks to the powers of 360-degree video, diners are plopped in front of the fountain at Plaza de la Constitución, seated at Gudelia Melgar Cruz’s memelas stand and buried among the piñas at Alexis Canales Angeles’s palenque. But before all that, you’ve got to hop on the flight.

The experience kicks off with a classic airline announcement, setting the scene and transporting guests to Oaxaca. Then, you have a little bit of a “walk” (er, a look) around to get your bearings. There are spiced peanuts on the table and servers come around to take your drink order—a choice between cocktails, beer or agua fresca. 

The interviews start, timed to lead each course, and you hear from the native purveyors themselves before the dish appears in front of you for tasting. Naturally, the very first person we heard from was Angeles of Pasión Ancestral, an ancestral mezcal maker based in Santa Catarina Minas. We listened to those working at the palenque, watched them process the drink from piña to bottle, and then had a taste for ourselves alongside a snack of chapulines—crispy, crunchy grasshoppers.

Oh, and remember Smell-O-Vision? That’s real now. The Infinite Table team worked with Robertet fragrance and flavor house as its official “scent partner” to make the smells of the city’s cuisine come to life. It sounds a bit kitchy, and I’ll admit that was my initial thought. But as I sat there at the table, watching a woman mull her own masa on the metate, then getting hit in the nostrils with the scent of freshly ground corn, I was fully bought in. It was incredible.

The food:

Our first course was a memela, made to mimic the one from Cruz’s cart, Memelas San Agustín. It was fragrant and pinched up at the sides just as she had mentioned in the interview. Topped with browned pork lard, beans and a salad of avocado, tomato, meat and cilantro, this was a welcoming first bite—and a nostalgic one for someone (me) who has been to Oaxaca before.

Next up was a familial corn stew recipe from Deyanira Aquino Pineda of Restaurante La Teca, that goes back generations. Similar to a hearty pozole, this guisado featured chunks of soft pork shoulder for you to find with each scoop, served with the Zapotec crispy tortillas totopos istmeños.

Carina Santiago's mole negro, which she makes at her restaurant Tierra Antigua, served as the meal’s centerpiece. Much like the other documentary subjects, Santiago’s is a recipe that’s been passed through her family and, thanks to The Infinite Table founder Peter J. Kim, found its way to a kitchen in Meatpacking. It was served on top of juicy chicken thighs with soft corn tortillas and rice on the side.

Lastly, the meal closed with a warm chocolate drink from Flor Heras of Rito Chocolatería, and pan de yema—though, there wasn’t a clear explanation of the dish as a whole, so those unfamiliar were confused about how to eat it (rip and dip the bread into the bev).

Overall, the two-hour endeavor was fun, exciting and a totally non-gimmicky way to get even just a small morsel of a city and culture outside the one you’re currently living in. Sure, nothing will replace being there in the flesh, but for when you’re unable to book the flight, it’s the best replacement I’ve ever seen.

The Infinite Table is currently running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until October 25, 2026, with two lunch and two dinner seatings daily. Tickets can be booked here and start at $95 for a 90-minute, three-course lunch and $139 for a 120-minute, five-course dinner—pricing includes gratuity. The documentary’s subjects, dubbed “cultural partners,” receive 5% of gross ticket revenue.