Could Wild Dining Be a New Restaurant Model? The Kitchen Moves to the Forest, Vineyard, and Field

The restaurant experience no longer has to be confined within four walls. In the model known as "wild dining," forests, vineyards, farms, beaches, and similar natural areas transform into dining venues for a limited time. In these events, where there is no fixed hall, the location becomes an integral part of the menu and guest experience. Seasonal products, local producers, cooking over an open fire, and communal long tables are common elements of the model.

This approach is not entirely new. The US-based Outstanding in the Field was founded by Jim Denevan in 1999 as an alternative to the traditional restaurant model. Today, the project describes itself as a "wall-less traveling restaurant" that organizes meals with local chefs and producers in locations ranging from farms to vineyards and beaches to fishing piers. According to the organization's official information, the format has reached all 50 states in the US and 24 countries to date.

In the UK, The Wild Table is one of the current examples of this model. A temporary restaurant set up only a few times a year in the wooded area of Browning Bros' family farm in Essex, near London, prepares chef and sommelier Melanie Brown's seasonal menu over an open fire. The organization's 2026 events are completely sold out, and they have opened a waiting list for 2027. Although this single example does not prove that wild dining demand is rising across the entire market, it demonstrates that a strong experiential value can be created through limited capacity and rarity.

From an operational perspective, a noteworthy aspect of wild dining is that it does not simplify operations by reducing some elements of fixed restaurant investment. On the contrary, different problems arise. The Wild Table's own information states that the event continues in rain, heat, or cold weather conditions, and structural adjustments are made for adverse weather. It is also clearly stated that the natural ground can pose accessibility challenges and that not all allergy and special dietary requests can be met due to the remote kitchen infrastructure.

These details show that wild dining is not just about having a "beautiful table in the forest." Issues such as electricity and water infrastructure, cold chain, equipment transportation, waste management, fire safety, staff participation in setup and teardown, alternative plans for weather conditions, and transporting guests to the site require a different operational design than a classic restaurant. In the case of The Wild Table, the need for additional staff to assist in setup, service, and other operations alongside the main team is one visible example of this workload.

Another advantage of the model is its ability to directly turn the physical environment of the restaurant into the product story. In examples from Italy reported by Gambero Rosso, wild herbs, mushrooms, local vegetables, game, and open fire techniques become part of the experience. Thus, guests do not just consume the meal; they also see the geography from which the product originates as part of the gastronomic experience.

In our opinion: The main opportunity of wild dining for restaurants is not to offer "dining outdoors," but to create a new sellable experience product outside of fixed restaurants. Limited capacity special meals for vineyards, olive groves, farms, hotels, and destination businesses can generate additional income, brand visibility, and collaborations with local producers. However, the ability to price the model highly does not mean that operations are simple. Dependence on weather conditions, food safety, fire risk, employee transportation, equipment transportation, and cancellation scenarios mean that an event set up without considering these factors may carry a higher operational risk than a classic restaurant. In Turkey, it could be a viable model especially for vineyard routes, olive groves, rural hotels, and gastronomic destinations; however, in successful examples, it will be crucial to design the operation and the story together rather than just the scenery.