Dans Le Noir

I went here for a Christmas party and I didn't know that this restaurant was completely dark before I arrived.

I was held up by London transport and the rest of my party had already been seated. My blind waiter guided me to join them at the table where they seemed to have begun to adjust to the total darkness. I never did.

First of all I tried to pour myself a glass of water by holding the glass with one finger inside and tilting the carafe, in small increments, very slowly. After about a minute I realised that the carafe had already been drained. I yelled for the waiter, who bought a fresh carafe, and I started the process again. By the time I had repeated this entire sequence with the wine, I was already frustrated with the whole concept.

This is not like being blind. This is like being struck blind and then deciding to go - immediately - for a meal with lots of blind friends (none of whom have learned the skills that blind people develop over time) and with not a single sighted person to help.

The food: I had opted for the meat menu.

The starter was horrible. It tasted like a mini burgers and stale cheese sticks.

The main course was an improvement. There was a large slice of beef which I attempted to eat whole before realising how big it was, and a fatty (although not unpleasant) piece of meat which I was told was venison. (It didn't taste like venison). Apparently there was also some turkey. This was served with mash potato, which I ate with my fingers, and green beans.

The dessert was ok. Lime and chocolate petit fours and a fruit tart.

It wasn't haut cuisine but that didn't really matter as I would have been unable to enjoy any food with the feeling of claustrophobia the darkness had induced.

I was glad I wasn't paying.

What a fantastic experience! Eating a meal completely in the dark with waiters serving you who are blind. The experience really does give you insight into their lives. You can pick your food before going in or select the "suprise" menu which is designed to test your other senses. Very funny evening with conversations with random people sitting next to you. The meal will take a couple of hours but a great talking point. Costs about £50 a head with wine.

I'll admit to being more than a little apprehensive about this eating in the pitch dark malarkey, and not just because I was worried the chef would somehow booby-trap my plate! But I faced my fear, and off I went with the rest of my housemates (all bar one, who happens to be the Chef at said establishment, hence the booby-trapping fear). We met in the entrance bar to pluck up some Dutch courage, and put all phones, cameras and even phosphorous watches in specially provided secure lockers- just to make sure there was NO source of light in the dark room whatsoever! For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, you basically eat your meal in a pitch dark room, and you cannot see ANYTHING!! Your eyes don't adjust, it's just like being blind. In fact, all the waiting staff there ARE blind, and they lead you in to the room in a kind of conga-line and sit you down, so no chance of missing the chair! Walking into the room is quite scary, it really is total blackness. You expect a step to appear from nowhere or something to jump out at you! The staff are fantastic though, and really attentive throughout the meal. They talk you through things and help you find your bearings (and the bread basket) so you feel in safe hands. As for the food, you don’t know what you’re ordering so just let your taste buds take their chances. There’s a seafood, meat, veggie or general option, which change according to season and the whim of the chef, but best described as a mix of French and International cuisine. Although the food is good, it’s really more about the experience. As you don’t know what you’re eating you spend most of the time figuring out what it is rather than worrying if it’s good or not (which it is, but I guess that’s just a bonus)! All in all, a fantastic and truly unique dining experience. So be brave, and do it. Just don’t wear anything white :oD

Fancy eating food in a completely different environment - try this place.

Blind waiters serve you in pitch blackness, seriously. It's really really wierd, in fact I'm not sure I've ever really experienced pure blackness before, no light anywhere, nothing. I started to hallucinate and freaked out a bit at first but all part of the fun.

The food is pretty ordinary really - in fact go for the 'surprise menu', I still don't know what I ate, probably dog food or something. But as an experience you really must try it. I've been 3 times and love it!