Dining in the Dark-Paris
 

There's a restaurant in the Marais that opened in July called Dans Le Noir meaning in the dark. You must remove jewelry and anything that shines as you dine in the dark. 55 diners are served by 7 blind servers. Has anyone been there? The Prime Minister said he enjoyed it.

That sounds bizarre!
It sounds like one of those gimmicks where the experience is more important than the food.

I'd be curious to hear a first-hand account of dinner there.

There was a first-hand review in a local paper a while back. The reviewer was put off at first while she was led inside in complete darkness but then she wrote that her other senses woke up and it became an intense experience.
She enjoyed it and enjoyed the food.

I wouldn't do it though, I want to check cleanliness and just actually see what I am ingesting. One roach running across a table is enough to put me off.

Yes, SeaUrchin, I'm with you-- I want to see my food... and anything else that's there.

And part of the fun of dining out is the people-watching!

There's a place here in New York, maybe more than one place, that serves dinner to customers who are reclining on beds.
Seems another gimmick to me, too.
If I want to eat in bed, that's what
Campbell's tomato soup and crackers are for!
=:)

I also remember a review, public radio or the Sunday NY Times, as Sea Urchin described. This is not a dining experience I seek out. Certainly there is something to be said for changing perception by isolating senses- a theatre or music performance, perhaps, but dining, non! It's the visual I want! Chaque a son gout- is that it? To each their own. That's what makes the world go 'round.

Mimi, there's NO way anyone could get me to take off my jewelry just to eat dinner! Part of the experience of dining for me is looking pretty, seeing others looking pretty, and admiring both the food and the tables settings.

If I want to "awaken" my senses in eating food, I'll lay off the salt. Then I can taste the food just fine!

If it's completely dark, how do you find your food?

((I))

I'll agree with the comment by a reviewer above that it would be an "intense experience". So is sitting on hot coals during dinner, or being hung upside down from a tree and having to sip dinner through a straw, but those are just two more nonsenisical but "intense" dining experiences that I want no part of!!

And that statement about having to remove anything that shines. . .Sorry, but my teeth don't come out!! Nor does my personality!! LOL

There have been times where I would have sworn I was served by a blind waiter but I don't like the idea of not seeing my food.
Is sight and smell not a large part of taste?
I think it sounds creepy :)

Between Elaine's campbell soup in bed and Patrick's teeth, I don't know which gave me a bigger giggle...well, maybe Ira's not being able to find his plate and his mouth in the dark!!

I have eaten at a restaurant like this twice, except it was in Zurich.

Here is how it works:
You are greeted in a lighted room with the menu on the wall (3 selections: meat, fisch or vegetarian). You are encouraged to take off watches with illuminated dials, other jewelry is not removed. You are given a locker to put you watch and handbag & coat.

Then your party is led into the darkened dining room. The server will put your hands on the back of your chair, and that is for guidance. The servers (not the cooks) were all blind, and wore bells on their clothing to gauge location.

It is an interesting experience. Try and get food from your plate to your mouth in the dark – it is not easy! And do not order a bottle of wine – you have no clue when the glass is full unless you stick your finger in the glass. Rather order wine by the glass. I had my hand on my wine glass the whole evening.

We were with an international crowd. Our Italian friend did not like the experience as we could not see his hand gestures. I sat next to a Chinese colleague who felt free to tell me about his family life in the dark, but was quite reserved normally. And we found we spoke very loudly in the dark.

It was a great experience and I would recommend it. It gives you a different perspective of your senses.
Last week I tried to book a table for 4 persons on a Friday or Saturday. The next opening they had was for June. So it is quite popular!

And be sure to wear Black washable clothing because I picture a few bits of this and that spilled on ones lap before the night is over :D

Scarlett...yo've just added another giggle!

Here's a discussion about this on another forum, including links to articles about it: http://forums.delphiforums.com/PBPro...ges?msg=4312.1

This weeks Bonjour Paris newsletter has a review of this place too.

http://www.bonjourparis.com/publicat...articleId=1800

yes, Jody, I was just going to mention that and see you did already--we must have gotten our emails frm BP at the same time

And we both get up early too!!

-:)

hmmmmm. Do I smell (since it too dark to see) an urban legend?

no, jane, they have opened ones in Zurick, Germany and elswhere.
Not my way to eat but thought it would interest others who like odd-ball places.

wouldn't it be just as easy to tie velvet eye masks over everyone's eyes, just as dinner is served? you can get a quick peep of the food, make sure it isn't gross, and then dine in the dark?

when you were kids, did anyone play those halloween games where they put cold spaghetti into a container, and they blindfold you, and you are supposed to feel it and guess what it is? and other foods? sounds a lot like that.

and who would want to possibly end up wearing their food? do they also give out bibs? why not just put everyone in a high chair with a tray.

hahaha

I've not read the thread in any great detail. But NYC has had this for a while -- at Suba, I believe, on Ludlow Street. I don't know if they still do it. The servers wear night goggles.

I ate at Suba once and thought it was ok. It's a bit pricey for what it is.

There's another restaurant called Papillon on Hudson Street (NYC) that had quite good reviews when it first opened. I don't know what it happened to it, but it went through a few incarnations. I remember reading a review about this sort of dining too -- and something about the diners licking food off the servers. A bit gross.

Then on a separate topic, there's/was a restaurant in NYC called La Nouvelle Justine. I never went. I don't know if it's still open.

When I went to Suba, it was a normal thing -- I didn't eat in the dark.

Sorry -- La Nouvelle Justine is/was a restaurant with an S&M theme.

Here's a review on Suba from Jan 2003. Presumably, mutatis mutandis, the Paris experience is similar.

Ok, I promise not to post anymore to this thread.... But review for Suba:

http://www.eatdrink.timeoutny.com/ar...8.eat.feat.php

Sorry for being so scatter-brained.

My son ate at one of these type restaurants in Berlin-there had been a cancellation at the last minute and they were able to get a reservation. He said that it was one of the most interesting dinners he had ever had in his 22 years!

The one in Zurich "Blinde Kuh" has already been mentioned here a few times. Search with "blind cow". There, as I understand, the servers are blind but not the cooks.

Paris Pages article by Hariett Welty

http://www.paris.org/Kiosque/dec04/letter.nov04.html