Blind dining: give your eyes a rest and your taste buds a challenge

In the bar of a restaurant in Berlin I sipped on a glass of wine and contemplated a poetic and vaguely written menu. If I recall correctly, the description under the vegetarian option was something about “golden fields waving in the breeze as the clouds above turned shades of vibrant red, orange, pink and purple.” Or something equally baffling when it comes to thinking of the description in terms of the dinner you will soon be eating. I ordered the colorful clouds and my friend ordered something equally unknown and we were lead into the dining room after turning over any items that could possibly emit light.

On entry we were surrounded by total darkness, the clinking of silverware and low voices as we shuffled along in a train, hands on the shoulders of our waiter. After he helped us to our seats he took our hands and “showed” us the landscape of the table. My eyes were unfamiliar with complete darkness–during the entire three hour experience it felt like they were about to adjust and shapes would soon appear.

It was a three course meal and each one offered a new challenge for the tongue. How often, I realized, that we use our eyes to determine in our mind what something will taste like and then lazily forget the more important sense receptor for the job. Grilled eggplant was identified, a sesame-ginger dressing on the salad, carrots and an unfamiliar sauce left us guessing.

After three hours in the dark even the dim light in the bar stung our eyes. It was by far the most unusual evening I spent in Berlin. Since then I’ve heard of several “Dark Dining” restaurants around the world, many that employ the blind or partially blind. (At some you wear masks that completely block out all light and at Beijing’s Whale Inside, the wait staff wears night vision goggles. Either way it’s bound to be an unexpected adventure.

Follow these links to find a dark dining experience in a city near you:

Basel & Zurich: Blindekuh

Berlin: Nocti Vagus

Berlin, Cologne & Hamburg: Unsicht-Bar

Beijing: Whale Inside

New York City: Camaje Bistro

London, Paris & Moscow: Dans le Noir

Montreal: O.Noir

Los Angeles & San Diego: Opaque

Enjoy and remember not to wear your favorite shirt!