I tried the 2025 CNE's Dinner in the Sky and ate eggplant parm 150 feet above Toronto

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is infamous for all its over-the-top food and thrills, but at the 2025 CNE, they're taking things to new heights — literally — and we decided to join in on the craziness.

How, you may ask? By trying Dinner in the Sky, a three-course meal, fully plated and served by stellar (and may I add, brave) chefs, while suspended 150 feet above Toronto.

Do I have your attention? Alright, let's dive into how it went!

Checking in and baggage

We walked into the CNE grounds — where the fair-goers' energy was palpable — and headed straight to where the Dinner in the Sky flights were departing: Stanley Barracks.

The check-in area at Stanley Barracks is complete with a booth, lounge area, and the Kaboom Sojubomb Cocktail Bar, where Dinner in the Sky diners are served a complimentary drink. 

After checking in, Danny, our gracious host, offered us a complimentary drink at the Kaboom Sojubomb Cocktail Bar while we waited for things to take off (pun intended).

I don't know if it was my anxiety about being 150 feet above ground level, but waiting to get on felt like forever! But, we mingled with our amazing fellow diners — there were only four of us on this flight, so the experience was super personal and private — and the group included a VERY special guest. But, more on this later.

It was now time to board!

Since you're only allowed to take your phone and cameras into the sky, there are lockers for you to stow all of your other belongings. Once everything was put away, we got strapped into our seats and in what felt like seconds, we were ready to go.

On board the Dinner in the Sky flight

Seatbelts? Check. Phone in hand (and secured)? Check. Security and safety spiel? Check.

A peaked level of anxiety? Check, check, check.

Patrons are seated in swiveling chairs and fully strapped in before takeoff. Although it's tough to move your arms around too much once you're secure, you do have the option of dangling your feet off the little platform once up in the sky for an added thrill. 

The experience starts with a slow, smooth ascent as the gondola-style platform rises high above the CNE midway. The seats swivel just enough so you can take in panoramic views: Billy Bishop Airport on one side, the CN Tower straight ahead, and the bustling fairgrounds below.

Once we reached the top — again, 150 feet into the sky — the platform did a gentle rotation so everyone had a chance to soak in the views from varying angles.

There were times when the wind picked up slightly, and so did the back-and-forth rocking of the gondola, but it honestly wasn't that bad. And the crew on board did an amazing job making us feel at ease the whole time.

The meal itself was surprisingly impressive. Chefs Raf and Des mentioned that they prepare the food just 10 minutes before each "flight" takes off, so every plate is fresh.

There are a total of five dining experiences for you to choose from; my flight was Cocktail Hour. But let me tell you, it was more like a FULL dinner experience. We were sipping prosecco, relishing the skyline, and awaiting our three-course meal!

Chefs Raf (left) and Des (right) made the entire experience so easy and fun! They used their impeccable skills to plate three courses while suspended in the air on a (slightly) rocky gondola. 

First up: a milk bread paired with churned butter, truly a treat for the taste buds.

As a self-proclaimed bread connoisseur, I always do the bounce back test on anything doughy. This milk beard passed with flying colours and was delicious!

The milk bread and churned butter were a fan favourite on the flight. 

Next, the mains. Diners had a hearty choice between Pacific Wild B.C. Halibut, Canadian Prime Short Rib, or Eggplant Parmesan (for all us vegetarians, of course).

My meal, the latter, was delicious. Soft eggplant topped with an abundance of tomato sauce and cheese. The cherry on top? The olive tapenade. It added the perfect tartness to the dish.

Eggplant Parmesan: Earthy, soft, cheesy, and saucy Eggplant Parmesan topped with a delicious olive tapenade for added flavour.

For dessert, we were spoiled for choice. The menu listed a single option: Apple Birch Cake. But the team was super generous and threw in a slice of gluten-free chocolate ganache cake for anyone with dietary restrictions. How sweet is that? (Another pun…intended.)

I chose the Apple Birch Cake. It was light, and in Chef Raf's words, "refreshing." This dessert came with a birch shot, which was a glaze to top the cake, helping enhance all the green apple compote, graham sable and white chocolate mousse flavours.

Apple Birch Cake: Chocolate wild rice crunch, graham sable, brown butter sponge cake, green apple compote, birch white chocolate mousse, Granny Smith, vanilla birch sauce and microgreens.

For someone who was keeping their stomach empty leading up to this experience — shoutout to my anxiety! — I indulged. There were also unlimited refills on the prosecco. Yup, you read that right. Did I say I indulged?

Dining with Granny

Dinner in the Sky is definitely a coveted experience! But the highlight wasn't just the food or the views — it was the company. Remember the special guest I mentioned? Well, here's more on that, now.

I had the pleasure of dining with Kiss 92.5's Damnit Maurie and his incredible 95-year-old grandmother, Granny. I think everyone at the table agreed that she was the coolest person at the CNE.

Kiss 92.5's Damnit Maurie and his 95-year-old grandmother, Granny, joined us on the flight! Dining with Granny was an absolute pleasure.

She was walking into this whole experience blindly; she had no idea what she'd signed up for — classic Maurie. But she took on the challenge like a G — full with stunner shades on and everything!

Granny was sweet, hilarious, and eventually, unfazed by the altitude. Maurie teased her to look down throughout the flight. She refused — I don't blame her — saying, "I’m not looking down! The only thing I'm looking at is my plate of food!" 

And her food? She rated it a 10! I'm sure Granny would want me to give a shout-out to the Canadian Prime Short Rib just about now.

Preparing for landing

And just like that, it was time to descend. The 45-minute airborne dining had come to an end, and we were slowly descending. The crew celebrated us for our bravery — and us, theirs. It's no easy feat to serve a full three-course meal amidst a suspended apparatus and be fully calm and composed — and we were off the gondola, high-fiving one another.

A view of the CNE midway from 150 feet above the ground.

The experience in a nutshell

The Dinner in the Sky experience starts from $110, and ticket prices go up to $1150. It runs from August 15 to September 1, and you can book your slot here.

The general consensus across the table was that Dinner in the Sky would be a great activity for a date night. Come with your partner, take in the views, gorge on the food, and if you come for the Full Experience at Sunset, you're in for some romance, too. 

With all that said, and between the skyline and the once-in-a-lifetime dining setup, I think Dinner in the Sky will easily be one of the most memorable experiences at CNE 2025. And if Granny can do it at 95, you have NO excuse to not try it yourself…otherwise, I'm judging.

Oh, and just don't look down.