The bright red sand that boldly proclaims Uluru as the spiritual home of Australia has long appealed to people, both in Australia and overseas, as a bucket-list destination. Its Indigenous culture and its adventurous activities are worth the airfare and risk of sunburn alone.

But it’s its food, drawing from its natural native backyard, that’s becoming an attraction in its own right. There are classes on exploring native ingredients and dining under the stars, with experiences such as the Sound of Silence serving a buffet heavy with native ingredients.

The foodie highlight is undoubtedly Tali Wiru, which combines five-star finery with the raw beauty of the outback. It’s a four-hour extravaganza, which includes a four-course gourmet meal with matching Australian wines.

A brief drive from Ayers Rock Resort takes you to a remote sand dune overlooking Uluru, where waiters are ready with classes of bottomless French Champagne. The wobble in diners’ walks back to the bus afterwards suggests just how bottomless that actually is. A didgeridoo player serenaded us as the sun set on Uluru and waiters offered canapes, such as yabbie caviar served on a bite of cuttlefish crumpet.

Surrounded by open desert, including a view of Uluru as the sun sets, this is a dining experience that’s all about heightening your senses and appreciating what nature provides.

The menu rotates with the seasons, and dishes including Spencer Gulf king prawn, dotted with finger lime, crocodile skin and cherry gel are highlights. Match this with a South Australian Sulky Blanc, or continue with the Champaign. Before the main course, the aroma of the slow-roasted vegetarian dish with black garlic and toothfish with carrots coated in bush honey visited the table well before the dish reached it. The fish was buttery, while bush grains and beach succulents added crunch and texture.

Being out in the open space, there’s a sense of freedom that creates an atmosphere of speculation and possibility. It’s easy to become fixated by the deep black night sky, speckled with bright stars – it’s not a sight many of us see often.

The only thing that could draw eyes away from this natural show is dessert: the mysteriously-named Textures of Chocolate. The end to the meal doubled as a  piece of theatre, with a pot of hot chocolate sauce poured over a chocolate shell, with hits of lemon myrtle, quandong and Davidson plum – sweet, earthy and luscious.

The Champagne went perfectly with dessert, but also with the matching Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat, which was sticky, rich in oak and had deep raisin flavours.

There are plenty of gourmet dining events and experiences across Australian, but few bring such theatre and spirit to the plate. You may talk away a bit tipsy and unintentionally bring some red sand home with you, but you’ll also gain a fresh appreciation of just how incredible the ingredients growing in our own backyard can be.