Blind for a Night

For all those skeptical of the fine art of eating in the dark, I am here to put your worries to rest.

Although such an adventure may seem as though you are setting yourself up for a night of spilt drinks, food on your hands and inevitable embarrassment, it is an experience that will also leave you with a new perspective, a satisfied tummy and probably a few good laughs.

My previous experiences at O.Noir had me going back for a third time, and with each visit, I have come out with many stories to tell, thereafter.

O.Noir is a restaurant in downtown Toronto, with a second location in Montréal, where guests eat in complete darkness, tended to by servers who are are blind. The restaurant hopes to give people a sense of what it is like to live without sight and to open guests’ eyes by closing them.

Here is the scoop from my third dining experience at O.Noir:

Upon arriving, my friends and I gathered in the restaurant lobby, which is dimly lit, and selected our food and drinks from a menu before entering the pitch-black dining room. Our party was called and we had a formal introduction with our server. We learned one another’s names and shared a few fun facts (the server becomes your only confident while in the dark). Then, we conga lined our way into the dining hall, holding onto each other for dear life.

As our server guided us into our chairs (literally into our chairs), they encouraged my friends and I to reach around, feeling our cutlery and plates (things that you don’t normally do or even have to think about doing). Then, we reached out to find each other. Even though we were right beside one another, it felt as though we were miles away.

Within the first two minutes of our experience dining in the dark, my friends and I had already spilt a glass of water and I almost ate a butter package that I mistook for a piece of bread. My server happened to overhear my mistake and asked me, “How did the plastic taste?” Not very good, I must say!

Once our food arrived, we were happy to feel that our steaks were pre-cut (a good choice, as me + a knife+ the dark= not a good idea). Needless to say, by the time dessert came around, I was eating cake with my hands.

After eating in the dark for my third time, I can definitely recommend trying the O.Noir experience at least once. The first few moments are an adjustment period, but when you start to get comfortable, conversations strike, laughter sets in and unbelievable dining experience take hold.

It’s true what they say, “It’s better in the dark.”