The CamaJe Bistro, in Greenwich Village, is unlike all the other entries on this list—the restaurant is lit and the patrons experience darkness by wear blindfolds. The blindfold method of darkness is logistically easy (when you want to go to the bathroom, for example) but since not all of the patrons, and none of the waitstaff, are blindfolded we, personally, would feel much more self-conscious here than we would in all-dark digs.
The Whale Inside opened in Beijing in 2007 and has been such an overwhelming hit since that it has already expanded to Shanghai and Hong Kong. The dark’s draw here has less to do with heightening one’s palate than it does lowering one’s social inhibitions. The restaurant is an extremely popular with couples on a first date, especially couples who met over the internet (who presumably figure that they’ve never before seen their partner in person so why should they start now?). Given the groping that’s happening in the promo video on the Whale Inside’s website homepage we can only imagine what happens when the video camera is turned off. The waitstaff here wear infrared goggles. Dinner costs ¥250 (about US$26, €28).
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In September of 1999, The Blind Cow, the world's first restaurant in total darkness, opened in Zurich in an old Methodist church building. "Blind Cow" is the German name for the children's game known as Blind Man's Bluffin English. Today there are 18 restaurants all over the world that have adapted the concept.
The primary goal was to create workplaces for blind and visually handicapped people. Today we manage without extra funding. Earning their own money helps people's self-esteem. Another goal is to boost the dialogue between the blind and people who can see. For once they have to swap roles, the blind person becomes the guide of the person who normally sees.
Welcome to the Blind Cow. My name's Anya. May I ask you to form a congo and follow me into the restaurant. Now we move through the first curtain into the Ante-room...to the right...now we pass through another curtain to the restaurant. From now on, it will be completely dark, don't be afraid. Here we turn left. Follow the lin you feel on the floor. Now we turn left again. Straight. To the right, we're almost there. Left again, and we've reached the table. Here's the first chair back. Is everyone comfortable in the dark so far? Great, what would you like to drink?
In our restaurant, you make contacts you wouldn't make in daylight. People are tempted to sit down at empty tables. Here we place people at tables with strangers. Here we place people at tables with strangers. Once they come out of the dark, they are usually surprised to see how different their table companion looks from what they've imagined.
It might give a kind of insight into the world of blind people, but to me the restaurant is more about sharpening other senses, the sense of taste for example. Many guests tell us that the red wine tastes a lot more intense in the dark.
The blind cow changes it's menu every week. There is always one meat, one fish, and one vegetarian dish. So our staff know what kind of fish they are serving in the dark, we use different kinds of plates. For example, let's take our main courses: we use a plate with a large plain rim for meat dishes, another one with a ribbed rim for fish, and for vegetarian dishes one with strutted edges. This way our waiters always know what dish they are carrying.
After they have finished their meals, the guests are escorted back to daylight.
"You are more aware of how you eat. You have to remember what food there is on your plate and remember in what section of the plate you find the wild rice, spinach, or fish. Sometimes, you even have to use your fingers."
"It's like waking up in the middle of the night when everything is pitch dark. In the beginning, you have to touch everything to get an idea of the place. The first five minutes are quite strange, but then you get used to it and it's sort of fun." Read more!
When having dinner at the unsicht-Bar dark restaurant Berlin your eyes will finally be able to take a well-deserved break. By voluntarily abandoning your visual impulses you will be able to experience what wonderful work your other senses are capable of. Feel a gentle breeze. Feel the things on your table. Let your nose explore unknown horizons and experience pure taste without any visual pretence. You will feel the presence of your table partners and will be pleasantly surprised how the simplest conversation will magnify in importance. A genuine sensory rush!
The name of this restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland means Blind Cow.
They say the eye is as important as the taste buds when it comes to food. Not here. At blindekuh, the pleasures of the palate are experienced by other senses that are sharpened by the darkness. Let smell and taste, hearing and touch, be your guides. You don't need your eyes to enjoy blindekuh! We don't want you to feel lost in our world of darkness, so our professional staff are always there to help. Our team is made up of blind and partially sighted people who will take the very best care of you, making your visit to blindekuh an unforgettable experience.
This week, Doron and Melissa talk about a unique restaurant where all of the diners eat in complete darkness. Click here to listen and see the slideshow. This week on ELLLO-ology we will be exploring Dark restaurants and the world of darkness...
