30 restaurants interested in Sky Lounge for 2017

More than two dozen restaurants want to know more about the ideaofserving dinner in the skyto help toast Canada's 150th anniversary.

Ottawa 2017, the group responsible for the city's sesquicentennial celebrations, said itheard from 30 "high-calibre food and beverage establishments" by Wednesday's deadline for expressions of interest in the high-flyingproject.

The dining-in-the-sky stunt will be a first for Ottawa.

The concept is relatively simple, although perhaps not for the faint of heart.

Diners hoisted 50m into the sky

A long table that seats 22sits on a platform that canaccommodate serving staff and supplies.

Using steel cables, the entire thing is hoisted 50 metres into the air by a crane.

The guestsare strapped into their seats, much like they would be if riding a roller coaster, and they're served dinner and drinks among the clouds by fearless chefs and waiters (who are presumably not strapped in).

Quebec-based DinerEntreCielet Terre will operate the "Sky Lounge," which is covered bya canopy to protect diners from theelements. No word on what happens if nature calls while you're sipping your bubbly high above Parliament Hill.

SkyLoungepromisespanoramic view of capital

There will be multipleseatingsof two different events: a gourmet dinner and a cocktail hour with tapas. Every day for a week in August, five dinners and sixcocktailevents will take place. The prices haven't been finalized, but they will likely be in the hundreds of dollars. Dinner in the Sky Las Vegas costs around $300.

And it's not clear yet exactly where the Sky Lounge will be located, but Ottawa 2017 officials say it will be somewhere in the downtown core and offer unparalleledviews of the capital.

Ottawa 2017 put out a call for expressions of interests from restaurateurs and catering companies willing to donate at least some of their services tokeep the cost of the event a bit more affordable for guests.

The 30 who have expressed an interest will receive the full request for proposals this week. The deadline to submit a formal proposal is in mid-August.

Tickets are expected to go on sale this fall.