Who turned off the lights!? O.Noir- Montréal,Quebec
December 25, 2017 | Jhaelynn Elam
Have you ever wanted to enjoy a three course meal in complete darkness? Neither have I and I'm sure I already know what you're thinking. To be completely honest I had no Idea what to expect when arriving at the restaurant, I was thinking to myself how impossible this was going to be. On the contrary, it was one of the coolest dining experiences ever. Let me tell you how it went!
So before you freak out, no you do not have to know how to read braille to order your food. Actually, the area we placed our orders in was well-lit. The menu had a few options for your starter, main course and dessert. There were even options for surprise dishes!!! (Which normally I would be all for until I saw octopus was one of the potential surprises.) Instead I settled for a surprise glass of wine.....because why not?
After ordering our food we were then led into the dining area and seated by our server, who himself was blind. We were instructed to place our right hand on the right shoulder of the person in front of us. Once we were seated, the fun part began! While initially I expected to be a little uncomfortable dining in the dark, it actually wasn't that bad. After some time I began to adjust so much to the darkness that I wasn't even thinking about it, nor did it bother me. Although the darkness did not allow me to see my friends or my food, the experience was still great. Conversations flowed effortlessly and the whole room was full of laughter from the other tables as well. Eating our food in the dark was much easier than expected and the best part was NO ONE could see how much of a hungry slob I can be when I eat !!! Talk about a judgment free zone.
Overall this was a unique sensory experience. I would argue that the removal of the expectations that you form by not being able to see your food before consuming it, may definitely affect your perception!
Sorry I'm not able to tease you with any food pictures. Downside to dining in the dark--- no pictures !!!
If you're ever in the Montréal area, make sure you check them out!
In addition, there are also a few other restaurants offering similar experiences in California, Switzerland and Toronto just to name a few. It's definitely worth a try.
