They say that when you dull one of your five senses, the others become heightened. When you remove sight, you become acutely aware of sounds, smells, tastes, and physical sensations. This is part of the premise behind the culinary experience at Toronto’s ONoir.
At O Noir, the dining space is completely dark. Not dim lighting for ambience – absolutely dark. In addition to the lights being off, there are no cellphones, luminous watches or anything else that could emit light.
The idea is to heighten the remaining senses for a fuller dining experience and to lay the table bare (pun intended) for more meaningful, less distracted conversation.
Your servers are visually impaired, and being immersed in the dark gives you a hint of what it is like to have limited vision. The kitchen is fully lit, however, and the cooks are not visually impaired.
To order, patrons choose from the menu in the lit bar, where they can see the menu, before entering the dark dining room. They recommend that you set aside between 1-2 hours to properly enjoy the dining experience.
O Noir encourages diners to get outside of their comfort zone, noting that it’s not uncommon for people to feel uncomfortable initially (some very much so), but that enduring and diving into the experience is well worth it in the end.
Although, know that if your anxiety is too much, they are supportive in helping you move to a lit location. And if you need to use the washroom or get up from your table for any reason during the meal, your server will escort you where you need to go.
There are several side experiences that emerge from dining in the dark.
First, you are vulnerable; when your sight is suddenly removed, you need to develop trust, both with your server to guide you, and with your fellow diners. Mishaps happen inevitably, such as spills, dropping dishes and food and more. It’s all part of the shared experience!
Second, your sense of taste is heightened, making the meal a truly elevated culinary experience.
Third, your shared experience with your fellow diners, along with the limited typical distractions (phones) connects you more meaningfully. That’s why this is such a popular date spot.
O Noir
620 Church St Toronto, ON M4Y 2G2
How terrific would it be to have such a unique dining experience, right in your own ‘hood? Check out this listing we sold on nearby Maitland Street.
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