This Amsterdam Restaurant Is Putting Tables in Individual Greenhouses for an Adorable and Safe Dining Experience

As the world contemplates how to reopen and social distance at the same time, one restaurant in Amsterdam is ahead of the game.

The waterfront Mediamatic ETEN restaurant has set up individual greenhouses where diners are totally separated from each other while still able to enjoy a meal and the beautiful views of one of the city’s famous canals. The restaurant, which recently tried out the setup, will eventually serve a plant-based dinner with dishes presented on top of large wooden planks so waiters don’t have direct contact with diners.

Additionally, servers will likely wear protective gear like face shields and gloves while working.

“In these times we are reinspired by contamination precautions and the redesign of togetherness,” the restaurant wrote in a post about the project. “Our greenhouses protect you from the outside and others while offering you a unique experience of intimate dining.”

The restaurant notes that the individual greenhouses — or chambre séparée, as they are calling them — are recommended for people who are already living together.

The private dinners — that consist of 4-course meals that cost €100 for two people, or about $108 — are scheduled to start later this month and go through at least June, have all been sold out.

Still the restaurant's opening is still contingent on government regulations. Currently, Amsterdam expects restaurants will be able to open for outdoor seating and limited indoor seating by June 1. The Netherlands has more than 42,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University, which tracks the virus.

The restaurant said if reservations are canceled due to government measures or weather, people will receive a full refund.

The idea comes as countries across Europe have started to explore lifting lockdown measures. In Italy, for example, people are now allowed to go to work and see family members, as well as visit places like bookstores.