This incredible outdoor dinner party is coming to a field near you

We get it – your wishlist of post-pandemic dining experiences just keeps growing. Here's one more to add to the mix: roving dinner party Outstanding in the Field just announced its 2021 return, offering 77 picturesque dining experiences in the US, Europe and Africa from June through November.

Now in its twenty-second year, the traveling culinary experience sets tables in expected alfresco destinations around the globe, including vineyards, beaches, farms, harbors and meadows. They're not just stunning locales for a feast: each venue tells a story about regional ingredients and their origins. To connect the dots, organizers tap award-winning local chefs, farmers, winemakers and brewers to curate multi-course menus that rival some of the best restaurants in the world. 

Making the experience even more otherworldly is the fact that Outstanding in the Field dinners are typically set at one long table. Diners might find themselves seated in a clearing in the middle of an olive farm, or between rows of grape-packed vines at a vineyard, or on the sandy shores of a hidden cove overlooking the sea.

Like most other communal gatherings, the event's entire 2020 lineup was scrapped. As organizers prepare to revive the dining series in June, they're carefully following all guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure the safety of guests and staff. Diners can expect more detailed information on what that entails before the big event.

The dinner party kicks off its 2021 season next month at Happy Valley Farm, a century-old apple orchard in Santa Cruz, California. From there, it will set up shop – er, table – at a sheep farm in rural England, a secret location in London, a garden in Ghana, a goat dairy in Vermont, a ranch in Wyoming, a distillery in Wisconsin and beyond. Tickets start at $265 (£187) per person and include appetizers, a multi-course meal, booze and a tour of the venue. (And yes, a tip is included.)

The series books up notoriously fast, and as of press time, ten of the events are already sold out. If you're itching to dine alfresco in one of the world's most beautiful nature spots, you'll have to act fast. And here's hoping you can find time to squeeze it in with all of the music festivals, concerts and restaurant openings popping up in cities around the world in the coming months.

Hungry for more alfresco meals? Some of the world's best chefs say these are the best outdoor dining experiences you can have.