# Dining in the Dark



## Canadian (Jan 17, 2008)

I've been told of a restaurant where one dines in complete darkness. Has anybody done this? I'd like to try it, but it seems like a good way to get a glass of wine in one's lap. People write about being forced to eat with their hands when they can't locate their cutlery, and allegedly all the waiters are blind.

Is this just a trendy joint, or has anybody enjoyed it?

​Tom


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## 12345Michael54321 (Mar 6, 2008)

I've heard of such dining. Along with claims that without visual distractions, one can really be aware of the taste of the food and wine. (Why not just blindfold the guests? Seems that'd give the same effect.)

It's a gimmick, of course, but using gimmicks to attract business has been done once or twice before, I think.

I doubt whether an all blind wait staff is used at "total darkness" restaurants, but again, cool gimmick if true. I've also heard that the waiters and waitresses wear night vision goggles, so they can see, and can thereby help a diner find his cutlery or his wine glass, if needed. Doubtless, an unusually attentive wait staff would be highly desirable.

The closest I've come to dining in a completely dark restaurant would be dining at The Catacombs, at Bube's Brewery, in Mount Joy, PA. https://www.bubesbrewery.com/catacombs.htm The restaurant is 43 feet underground, the floors are very uneven, and at least when I was there, the dining room was illuminated by candlelight. And not all that many candles, either. It wasn't pitch black, but it was dark. The food was good, albeit not remarkable.

I can recommend Bube's Brewery, btw. The other restaurant there, Alois, is very good. And the beer garden is an okay place for a casual bite.

Ah, I see from the website that this coming week's marketing gimmicks include a Silent Movie Feast (The Catacombs), and a Murder Mystery Dinner (Alois).


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

This happened to me once in Africa - I would prefer not to repeat the experience.


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## blue suede shoes (Mar 22, 2010)

I can remember over ten years ago when this fad started at a restaurant in Zurich. It has since expanded to several other major cities in Europe. I have never partaken, and I have no desire to. I guess putting all those chemicals and preservatives in the food, nuking it in a microwave and having an ill-mannered waitstaff serving it within a matter of seconds at an outrageous price as they do at chain restaurants today wasn't gimmicky enough.


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