When we were asked if we'd like to give Dans Le Noir a try, we jumped at the chance, we've heard so much about the In-the-dark dining experience. So, to celebrate the release of When In Rome (where Josh Duhamel and Kristen Bell's characters also try out eating a meal in pitch darkness) we headed to the London establishment to see what it was all about.
The concept:
The Dans Le Noir concept involves eating a meal in pitch black, suppressing the dominant sense of sight, and leading to deep-self questioning. With the help of blind guides you are forced to re-evaluate the way you think and feel about eating.
The need-to-know:
Noted as a celebrity hot spot, possibly because of the anonymity, we were told that Russell Brand and Katy Perry had been in the restaurant just the other day, and Emma Watson even made such firm friends with the couple sitting next to her that she made plans with them to visit again and relive their experience.
The experience:
On arrival at Dans Le Noir, you place your bags in a locker (you wouldn't want to lose your handbag in the dark room - you'll literally never see it again) and are asked to select either a Meat Menu, Vegetarian menu, Fish Menu or a Surprise Menu. You'll find out what you've been eating afterwards.
You are led into the ‘dark room' by a blind guide, who seats you at a table and tells you where your plate, cutlery and all-important glass of wine are. Before leaving you and your party to try and maneuver your way around the table.
The food:
Courses are delivered to your table and you're given the option of using cutlery or your hands. Our dinner guest went for her hands, while we opted for using a knife and fork, but we kept finding that she'd finished while we were only a third of the way through our meal. Your senses are definitely heightened by eating in the dark and you find eat things a lot slower allowing your stomach to register that you've eaten before you've filled yourself up. We don't want to give too much away about what we ate at Dans Le Noir, as that's generally part of the surprise, but the food was delicious and let's just say we won't look at animals on safari in the same way again.
Was it good?
Dans Le Noir was a fun experience. Our host, Roberto, was a bit of a joker and led a friend away from the table while whispering something about taking her to his private lair in her ear - and so knew how to make the experience that much more anecdotal. It's not the most relaxed I've ever felt while dining out, but surely that's the whole point.
We ate at:
Dans Le Noir,
31-33 Clerkenwell Green,
Farringdon,
London,
EC1R 0DU
Prices start at £39 for two courses.
For more information visit:http://www.danslenoir.com/london/
Check out the clip of Kristen and Josh's character's trying out Dans Le Noir in When In Rome:
When In Rome is out in cinemas now.
