Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic Unusual Dining Experience

Last week my daughter took me to a restaurant called Onoir in Montreal.

The thing about Onoir is that all the waiters are blind and everyone eats in a totally (and I mean totally) dark room.

You enter a dimly lit lobby, read the menu (which includes 'surprise' dishes) and make your choice. Then you are introduced to your waiter who instructs the whole group to make a left-hand-on-shoulder-train and he leads you into the dining room and to your table.

He then explains things such as sighted person would often explain to a blind person - table here, chair there, how the table is set etc. He then makes sure you are safely seated and assures you he will be back (phew!).

Periodically, he reappears with a quiet 'hello' and oversees getting the food he has brought onto the table.

You are given a knife and fork, but I think the majority of people would resort to fingers very quickly - I mean who would know??

When we had finished eating, our waiter asked us if we needed the washrooms/restrooms and led us there and waited to take us safely through the dining room to the lobby.

(Yes the restrooms were lit - but only dimly).

It was an amazing experience. My daughter chose the 'suprise' main course, so had to guess what she was eating.

I was told beforehand that the total lack of light would enhance all of my other senses - and I found that to be true. The food was great anyway, but I found myself making extra effort to really taste the food.

Apparently there are similar restaurants around the world. If you ever have the chance to visit one, it is an experience not to be missed.

Corrina

Ooo, I saw a restaurant like this featured on a police drama-type show once, but now I can't remember which show. (That's going to drive me crazy, LOL.) I just remember the plot was that someone was murdered during the dinner and since no one could see anything, there was no way to know who had done it. (Until the investigators solved the mystery, of course. I think it might have been one of the waiters.)

Glad nothing like this happened to you, Corinna. It sounds like a really neat evening!

Kathy

I think it was CSI, Kathy. I've seen restaurants like this featured on some news shows and the Travel Channel, and it looks neat.

They have shown a couple of restaurants on 'Hell's Kitchen (US)' like this.
Gordon Ramsay takes challenge winners to dine in a very similar place in LA.

I would certainly give it a go - it sounds like an amazing experience! Not sure we have any here though... although now I am going to go look.