Crazy idea: from 2025, we will be able to have lunch above the Earth!

Enjoy a gourmet meal at 25,000 meters above sea level. It’s a crazy dream that the French start-up Zephalto is selling. The principle: a giant balloon capable of flying in the stratosphere will carry an ultra-design capsule from the end of 2024, with six tourists on board who will be able to enjoy a unique view of our planet for six hours. And the height of luxury, the meal served to passengers during the trip will be prepared by a starred chef.

But all this exuberance comes at a cost: 120,000 euros. It's a lot, but the world has no shortage of very rich gourmets who want to get laid: according to the company, the tickets for 2024 are all gone. It is still possible to book for 2025, by paying a deposit of 10,000 euros.

Pre-reservation ticket. This allows interested parties to reserve their place when tickets go on sale, explains CNNs are already available and are sold at around $10,900 (10,000 euros)

For the moment, we are still waiting to see if this hot air balloon of the future will keep its promises. Indeed, three test flights have been carried out, and none of them has yet reached the expected altitude, the one which will truly allow us to glimpse the magnificent curvature of the Earth. Above all, Zephalto must obtain certification from EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency), one of the strictest in the world, to be able to welcome passengers. Once this sesame is won, 60 flights could be launched each year.

To succeed in this ambitious project, the start-up benefited from public aid, in addition to private funds. It has joined forces with the French space agency (CNES), which shares its expertise.

Till this opportunity will be at your fingertips, you can visit the Restaurant Espace 117 located in Guadelupa, at the Souffleur Beach in Port-Louis, non-stop open for local people as well as  available tourists.