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Hailed a \u2018unique sensory and human experience\u2019, Dans Le Noir, offers guests a dinner to remember.<\/p>\n
The restaurant’s name translates as \u2018In the Dark\u2019, and it\u2019s often been voted as one of the 10 most original restaurants in the world, with the first being opened in Paris to raise awareness of disability and visual disabilities in particular.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As for what can be expected, the name gives a strong hint, but guests are served in complete darkness by blind and visually impaired employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Upon arrival, the hostess gives you the lowdown on what\u2019s going to happen; firstly all belongings are stored in a locker – including phones and watches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You are then escorted to the \u201cwaiting area\u201d where a pre-dinner drink can be enjoyed amongst conversation about what you might be eating. The menus are a surprise, with the only option being fish and meat, or vegan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The hostess then radios to the restaurant upstairs and it\u2019s time to dine in the dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n We were greeted by Fabio, our waiter, who led us into the restaurant, not before getting tangled in a curtain and several bumps into walls and chairs, as our eyes adjusted to the darkness, and our other senses kicked in.\u00a0<\/p>\n The room was noisy, with laughter, clapping and the occasional \u201ccoming through\u201d being hollered by the waiters. Our table was adjacent to two others, and one couple was already seated enjoying their meal.\u00a0<\/p>\n The first task was to pour ourselves water, and most of it ended up on the table rather than in a glass. Luckily, the wine came pre-poured, so we didn\u2019t have to worry about wasting a drop of that. \u00a0<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long before our starter arrived, and the guessing game began. There was a deep temptation to pick up the plate and sniff out the ingredients, which we soon recognised as a popular fish. As for trying to eat the starter, cutlery was quickly abandoned in favour of fingers, and ended up getting rather messy.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> The rest of the meal was a combination of trying to figure out the set-up of the restaurant – how many people were in the room? How do the waiters know where to place things and pick them up, even if they\u2019ve been moved? And working out what we were eating.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We were told if we needed anything to shout loudly for Fabio and he would come and help, but he was extremely busy between serving tables, assisting new customers into their seats and running back and forth to the kitchen. Both ourselves and the table next to us ended up waiting a long time to leave the room after finishing our meal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The food itself was great, although it wasn\u2019t quite the fine dining cuisine we expected; there’s the saying “we eat with our eyes” for a reason, and when sight is taken away, our taste is heightened. We were looking forward to interesting explosions of flavour in your mouth, but we got simple, well-matched ingredients. The dishes were good, but not exciting or new.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The only other area for improvement was the \u2018waiting room\u2019. Considering it\u2019s one of two areas you actually see – the toilets being the other – it needs modernisation. The brown wall tiles, deep red paint and bright lights transport you back to the 1970s, it wasn\u2019t giving you \u2018luxury cocktail lounge\u2019 vibes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/14\/590x\/secondary\/dans-le-noir-meal-4900324.jpg?r=1691581068478\")
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Where to store bread to \u2018keep it fresher for longer\u2019 – bread bin’s \u2018worst place'[GUIDE] <\/strong>
Make the \u2018best scrambled eggs\u2019 in \u201820 seconds\u2019 with \u2018fast and hard\u2019 method[VIDEO] <\/strong>
Cook jacket potatoes with \u2018super crispy\u2019 skins in 20 minutes using an air fryer[RECIPE] <\/strong><\/p>\nIn summary<\/span><\/h3>\n