You Eat in Total Darkness Here…And It’s One of London’s Most Mind-Blowing Restaurants
A meal is about more than just taste.
It’s about the way it looks on the plate, the atmosphere, and the people you’re with.
But what happens when you take away one of those senses?
That’s exactly what Dans Le Noir does.
You eat in complete darkness.
To reiterate, the darkness isn’t partial. It’s absolute.
No candlelight. No phone screens, no lighting from your watches.
Just you, your food, and your other senses working overtime.
Talk about honing in on your sense of taste.
A Restaurant Unlike Any Other
Located in Clerkenwell, Dans Le Noir? is not just a gimmick.
It’s an immersive and sensory experience.
The staff, who are all visually impaired or blind, guide you to your seat.
You trust them completely because, in that moment, they see more than you do.
It’s strange at first.
You reach out for the table, the glass, the cutlery—everything feels unfamiliar.
But once you settle in, something changes.
You start to focus more on taste, smell, and conversation.
The distractions of a normal restaurant—Instagramming your food, checking your phone—disappear.
What’s on the Menu? No One Knows
Here’s the twist: you don’t choose your meal.
Instead, you pick a surprise menu (meat, fish, vegetarian, or vegan) and let the chefs do the rest.
The food arrives, and you try to guess what you’re eating.
Is it chicken? Fish? Something else entirely?
The darkness forces you to really taste every bite.
Eating like this makes you rethink how much you rely on sight. You notice textures more.
Flavors feel stronger. Even pouring a glass of water is a challenge—you listen for the sound instead of watching the liquid rise.
Did you even know your guided into the room in single file by one of the blind waiters?
Like how quirky is that?
Did You Know?
- Dans Le Noir? means “In the Dark” in French. It was founded in Paris in 2004 and later expanded to London and other cities.
- Studies show that removing sight can heighten other senses, like taste and smell, which explains why the food feels more intense.
- Many people say they bond more with their dining partners because they focus purely on conversation. No distractions. No judgments. Just real talk.
- Dans Le Noir offers other sensory experiences like wine tasting and perfume workshops.
- The toilets are luckily lit. Imagine not knowing where you just took a leak….
