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As a birthday gift, we decided to try Dining In The Dark. Specifically, we went to O’Noir in Toronto, Ontario. With no preconceived idea of what to expect, it was definitely a unique experience.
Is Dining In The Dark a real thing?
Dining In The Dark is a real thing. A quick search finds dining in the dark locations in New York, Los Angeles, London, Santa Monica, Malaysia, and Italy. There are also a few pop-up events that move from city to city.
How does Dining in the Dark work?
First we walk into a fully lit up lounge to meet a hostess. She sat us at a bar table and gave us the menus. We were able to review the menu, ask questions, and order with her. A few minutes after we ordered, our waiter came out to the lobby, greeted us, and explained the next steps.
He had us put my hand on his shoulder, then my wife put her hand on my shoulder and we walked through a doorway into a very dark hallway. Around a corner and down a short hallway and through another door into the dining room. It was dark, like a level of dark I’d never seen before.
In The Pitch Black Restaurant
Our waiter helped us find our individual seats and then guided our hands around the table. He pointed out where our glasses were, our silverware, plates, the edges of the table, and each other. He left us for about 20 minutes while we waited for our food. Our instructions if we needed anything, was to just call his name into the darkness and he would come to assist us.
We spent the 20 minutes talking, and truly, kept blinking waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness in hopes of being able to see something. That never happened. It remained pitch black. We could hear other diners talking, and periodically we could sense people walking near us, but couldn’t see them.
Eating dinner was a different experience because we literally had to feel around on the plate to find the food to then pick it up with the fork. Conveniently, they did pre-cut our beef meal, so we didn’t have to try to use a knife. However, finding my glass to take a drink got easier over time as I knew approximately where it was. Plus we never spilled!
Although our Dining In The Dark Experience was in a pitch-black room, there are similar events that use blindfolds on the participants instead of the dark room.
If you’re looking for even more great restaurant ideas in Toronto, jump over to our list of 9 Best Places To Eat In Toronto.
Are the waiters in Dining In The Dark blind?
Depending on the event, at our restaurant, they did have fully visually impaired wait staff. They partner with several community organizations focused on providing services and support to the visually impaired staff. They are provided with good jobs that they are uniquely qualified for.
I’ve seen from reviews of other Dining In The Dark experiences that some use sighted wait staff with night-vision goggles. In some other cases where the participants are blindfolded and the staff is fully sighted with the lights on, although dimly.
Where did dining in the dark originate?
The first “Dining In The Dark” experience was in Paris, France in 1999 called “Le gout du noir.” Another one of the original “Dining In The Dark” restaurants is in Switzerland. Both of these restaurants were started by or with the support of the blind community.
What is the purpose of dining in the dark?
Dining In The Dark is said to heighten all of your other senses, making the food smell and taste better. It’s also an experience to better understand what it’s like to be blind. You better understand both their challenges and how they overcome them.
Although I can’t confidently say that the food tasted better, I can say that I did better learn how to cope without my sight. I feel like I could hear sounds that I wouldn’t normally hear. Because I was looking for any clues as to what was happening around me. I also feel like my sense of touch increased. I was able to tell the difference between my wine glass and my water glass by the ridges on the glass.
Dining In The Dark: Worth The Trip?
I would absolutely say that it’s worth it. Dining in the Dark was a unique experience. I think it was both a learning experience and an opportunity to truly do something unusual. I can’t attest that the food was better, and although it took some getting used to, I would obviously do it again. If you’re considering the idea, as long as you aren’t uncomfortable in the dark, I would highly recommend it.
Do you want to try dining at O’Noir in Toronto? Book your FLIGHTS here, your HOTEL here, and some other ACTIVITIES while in the city.
