What is it that makes a great dining experience?

For some, it is solely the quality of the food at hand, and the attention brought to its preparation and presentation. For others, it is more than that. Eating is universally recognized as an experience in which we can choose to fully engage our senses, or to not. For me, a great dining experience largely revolves around the people that I am surrounded by, the conversation and mood at the table, and the overall environment that I am in. The enjoyment of a meal is greatly influenced by small, independent factors like these, and whether or not they will assimilate into an enjoyable dining experience to be remembered. Yet what happens when we throw ourselves into a completely new and unique environment? What senses or details dominate the experience or hold your attention? Why are there restaurants that prize eating in the dark, underwater, or in the sky and what is the appeal? In order to be able to answer these questions, we must first come to understand what it is that turns a dining experience into a great one, for us as individuals, as well as in a collective sense.