Dark dining experiences?
 

Did a search for dark restaurants but didn't see any threads on the subject, so I'd figure I'd add one here...

I'm scheduled to take my first overseas trip by myself in the fall, and I was intrigued when I heard about dark restaurants in Cologne and Berlin - so much so that I'll probably go to one when I travel...luckily, I'm not claustrophobic. :)

That said, have any of you had dark dining experiences (US, Europe, etc.)? Special restaurants to recommend/avoid?

I once had dinner after dusk in Bali where the restaurant (couldn't recall which one) had outdoor tables on top of the sandy beaches and the only form of lighting was a candle inside a glass.

What YOU are referring to is ROMANTIC :) What gmax58 is referring to is new places that are virtually pitch black. If we had the opportunity, we would try one. It's an interesting concept.

Never heard of this, is it really pitch black? Do you know what you are being fed? Do the staff wear night vision goggles? How do you know when you are done? Do you use utensils?

There was a story on CBS recently replayed on their great show called "Sunday Morning". Here is link to it, in case you want to know more about it. In addition, there is a link on the left with a related story about a particular restaurant in London.

I thought if it is pitch black, I won't be able to see what I'm eating, what the entrees contain, whether the waiter/ess is approaching.........:confused:

Different restaurants, it appears, take different approaches:

Some use waiters with night vision goggles and put masks over the eyes of the customers. Others set up a "light-lock" (such as Opaque, referred to in the previous post) and have visually handicapped waitstaff.

Most of my friends consider this a bit kitschy - they don't see the appeal - but I figure that it's worth a try (especially since the dark dining restaurants in the US will run $100+, compared to $50-75 in some places in Europe!)

So.oo...update.

How many have actually experienced this and what were your feelings?

I'm in SAN and not often current. Just heard of this, and see no local real time reviews.

Sounds interesting to me except for the blind waistaff. Yes, they could be very, very helpful but something bothers me about this.

Opinions? Experience? Reviews?

i remember going to Hong Kong and eating in one restaurant whose name I can't even recall, I was pissed to see a cockroach feet in my soup. I wanted to puke when I saw it! Totally lost my appetite. Went back to my hotel still pissed.

I went to a place like this in BCN last year. They put on blindfolds as you entered, and everyone was seated alone at a small table. It was an interesting experience, definitely. I think there were 8 courses, each of which had a coordinated soundtrack and poets roaming the room. Food was so-so, but I'm glad I went as it was unique.

I haven't been to one yet, but a friend went to this restaurant in Paris and wrote about the experience here.

Check out my post in this thread for a unique Dark Dining Experience.

This would break me of my habit of reading while dining alone.

EDIT: Oops, I meant to post in this thread, which someone had posted a link to here.