The candles are lit before you arrive. Eighteen of them, arranged to cast the room in the kind of warmth that softens faces and loosens tongues.

Your guests find their place cards — hand-lettered on heavy stock. The sommelier pours a Commandaria that's been breathing for an hour. Conversation begins before the first course.

By the third course, someone is telling a story that makes the whole table laugh. By dessert, two old friends have reconnected. By the time the last glass is emptied, everyone agrees: this was the evening of the trip.