In the funniest scene from Disney’s 1954 film adaptation of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the cultivated Captain Nemo (James Mason) expertly trolls coarse harpooner Ned Land (Kirk Douglas). The two are seated in the dining room of Nemo’s submarine, the Nautilus, enjoying a feast of what Land believes to be lamb in sauce and fruit with cream … until Nemo reveals that it’s actually “brisket of blowfish with sea squid dressing, basted in barnacles” and “the milk of the giant sperm whale.” Nemo then instructs Land to eat his pudding, but a crestfallen Land refuses: “I ain’t sure it’s puddin’.”

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a Lost Spirits dining experience inspired by Verne’s novel, artfully flips that script. Located deep within the belly of that richly themed, maze-like interactive distillery tour, 20,000 Leagues maintains the submarine’s elegant, atmospheric dining room and loyal crew, but the master and commander of your 16-course meal, chef Taylor Persh—formerly of LA’s Trois Mec and Jose Andres’ Bazaar Meat—pulls only a couple of Nemo-like surprises, which resolve happily and deliciously. “Whale” is actually bites of Kobe beef brined in sesame, while “Eggs in Eggs” is a hardboiled quail egg filled with Ossetra gold caviar. That said, the “crème brulee” is really a Hokkaido sea urchin. Owned!

Everything that’s placed in front of you plays to all your senses. Dishes are beautifully plated—the fennel pollen-dusted octopus arrives seemingly in medias res, with a delectably tender tentacle curling upward to ensnare passing warships—and they’re accompanied by a musical soundtrack that swings from the atmospheric (PJ Harvey’s “When Under Ether”) to the playful. (Bet you can guess which Ringo Starr-featured Beatles track accompanies the cephalopod). The scents are heavenly, the textures beguiling and, as nearly every dish makes use of Lost Spirits’ splendid house-made rums, the tastes are unforgettable.

I need to stop there. I’m reluctant to describe more of 20,000 Leagues’ menu, for two reasons—because it changes nightly depending on what ingredients are available to the kitchen, and because surprises are one of the meal’s defining aspects. Early on, you’re politely asked not to film the arrivals of the dishes and cocktails, to preserve the mystery for the next night’s diners. Photographs are allowed, but here’s the thing: The sensory overload of the meal, coupled with a seating arrangement that encourages conversations with multiple strangers along the candlelit 16-seat table, compels you to put your phone down and be present.

(As a consequence of this, I didn’t record Persh’s lyrical descriptions of each course, many of which contained the word “intention” and her explanation of the multiple ways the kitchen sought to embrace it. Nor did I capture the moments when she was legit funny; following one impassioned speech, she interjected, “We’re also gonna get drunk and have a great time, so don’t worry about it.”)

So, in deference to Verne’s novel, I’ll end here with the mystery largely intact—“not a detail exaggerated … a faithful narrative.” The cost is not unsubstantial—$299 per person, which includes several cocktails alongside those 16 chapters, er, courses—but the dinner is ideally suited to special occasions, or to anyone who wants to experience something whole-cloth unique. It’s a real adventure, from stem to stern.

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA Seatings Thursday-Saturday; reservations required. Lost Spirits at Area15, twentythousandleagues.com.