Already the rage in Europe, Australia, L.A. and New York, O.NOIR is Canada’s first-ever restaurant that invites you to experience food, drink and conversation like never before IN THE DARK! It’s a sensual dining experience like no other. When you eat without your sight, your remaining senses are heightened to savour the smell and taste of food. O.NOIR does more than just fire the imagination and stimulate the senses. After a few hours in complete darkness (that’s right, no flashlights, matches, cell phones, cigarette lighters or luminous watches), customers gain a better understanding of what it’s like to be blind just like the restaurants’ entire wait staff. O.NOIR – IT’S BETTER IN THE DARK.
Dining at O.Noir offers a unique and immersive experience that challenges the senses by having guests eat in complete darkness. Many visitors praise the high quality of the food and the fun, mysterious nature of the surprise menu options, which encourage diners to focus on flavors and textures. The service is consistently highlighted as a major strength, with many guests commending the professional, attentive, and kind nature of the waitstaff who are visually impaired. While the concept is widely considered a memorable bucket-list activity that fosters deep conversation and empathy, some visitors note that the atmosphere can become loud depending on other guests and that the total darkness may take some adjustment. Overall, it is highly recommended as a one-of-a-kind culinary adventure.
Dining in TRUE DARKNESS. One of the most unique dining experiences I've ever had. In fact, this is the only restaurant I've been to in over a year that I felt compelled to write about.
I went with a group of 6 people (I'd say 4-6 people is ideal). We made a reservation for 8pm on a weekend. Some of us knew what we were getting into, & some had no idea of the premise...
In case you don't know... you're dining in the complete darkness. It's actually pitch black in there. You have to put your phones, watches, anything that could light up.. in a locker before you enter the dining room. You are brought into the dining room by making a train / conga line with the waiter who will guide you to your table. The wait staff are all visually impaired (some even with total blindness), & it's cool to know they really navigate the space with confidence & ease. You call them out by name if you want them to come to your table.
Immediately when we sat in our seats we all exclaimed variations of'wow it's really dark in here''woah where are you guys?''hold your hand out''who is across from me'. We tried to figure out how we were all oriented, how big the room was, where other people were dining around us, where the walls were, etc. We even tried momentary minutes of silence to just listen & observe. It made no difference whether our eyes were physically opened or closed. There was nothing -- no source of light even -- to be seen.
As for the food, we started with water & mocktails, which we tried really hard not to spill. They gave us bread & butter to attempt first (I got my hands all buttery). Then we got our surprise appetizer, followed by surprise entree. For the longest time I couldn't figure out what I was eating (fish, carrots, duck, tomatoes, mushrooms). It was all tasty but what it looked like was a total mystery to me.
That said, there's a menu (that you order from before you go in), but I really recommend ordering the surprise meals! You can opt for a surprise land, sea, veg, or total surprise. If you're nervous about the length of time in the darkness, I'd recommend going for the 2-course instead of the 3-course option. It was fun to order the same things as each other so that we could taste the same things & try to figure out what we were eating together.
Eating in the pitch black was something I've never done before. I was so much more aware of the tastes, the sounds around me, the textures, & the placement of things on the table. The experience also brought accessibility awareness & some perspective to the lives of the visually impaired staff, whose experience doesn't end after dinner. It was overall an enriching experience, & I also feel strangely bonded with the group of people I went with, as again, we've never had any group dining experience like this one.
Nous avons pris chacun deux services surprises, dont un végé pour moi. J'ai même précisé que je n'aime pas la coriandre & ça a été pris au sérieux. Les repas étaient bons & savoureux.
Le service était impeccable & sympathique.
C'est une expérience vraiment le fun. Nous avons eu beaucoup de plaisir à essayer de deviner ce que nous mangions. Je recommande le restaurant & de commander les repas surprises ! Ça ajoute beaucoup à l'expérience.
Nous sommes venus souper avec mon conjoint, c'était génial! Nous avons été servie par Sofia qui a été adorable & très agréable tout le long du repas.
Je recommande fortement.
Such an incredible & unique experience eating in complete darkness. Sammi was our waiter & he was amazing. The food portions were incredible. I don't think I've ever gotten than full in any restaurant other than all you can eat places haha & the food was delicious.
This was truly an experience unlike any other! Its hard to capture what this experience was like in so few words. To sum it up, it transformed the way we view our senses & our relationships to food & the way we eat. With the inability to see, the taste of the food was on another level. It was also such a pleasure sharing this experience with strangers. We made friends sharing this one of a kind dinner with people we have & never will see again. My boyfriend & I both ordered surprise cocktails, & alternated our 3 courses with surprises & chosen courses & everything was phenomenal! Our server Mazen was extraordinary & it was such a privilege to be served by him! We would highly recommend everyone dine here at least once!
Nous avons adoré notre expérience chez O'Noir. Le concept de manger dans l'obscurité complète est vraiment unique & nous a permis de vivre quelque chose de différent & mémorable.
Notre serveur était exceptionnel : très à l'écoute de nos besoins, professionnel, attentionné & d'une grande gentillesse. Il a su nous mettre à l'aise dès le début & a grandement contribué à la qualité de notre soirée.
La nourriture était délicieuse & bien présentée. Tout était réuni pour passer un excellent moment. Je recommande fortement ce restaurant à tous ceux qui recherchent une expérience originale & hors du commun. Merci à toute l'équipe pour cette belle soirée !
Easily one of the best experiences in Montreal. The concept of dining in the dark is executed perfectly here. You will be seated, you can choose from the menu or you can choose surprised menu, but they will ask you what you like. waitstaff was exceptionally professional, & the food was absolutely amazing. Highly recommended.
Un grand respect pour les serveurs qui nous montrent ce que c'est que vivre sans voir. C'est un restaurant conçu pour développer tous les sens possibles, & l'expérience est très belle, mais elle n'est pas faite pour tout le monde.
Les autres clients sont irrespectueux & parlent très fort, ce qui est malheureusement hors du contrôle du restaurant : le respect des gens.
Je trouve aussi que la nourriture est très surévaluée… Au total, j'ai payé 90 $ avec les taxes & le pourboire pour deux services, sans même un dessert. Oui, il y a 3 services avec dessert, mais c'est plus chère. Le cocktail surprise coûtait 15 $ pour une toute petite coupe. (crevette tempura c'était mon choix simple 4 crevette avec une sauce) - ce n'est pas ordinaire, mais pour le prix, je m'attendais honnêtement à beaucoup plus. Une expérience unique, oui, mais je n'y retournerais pas.
La seule petite attention offerte était du pain avec du beurre.
It was great & Sami was a great server but I had two complaints. First, every time the door opened I saw light because of where my seat was & it was annoying & took away a lot from the experience. In a room with almost no light, this little blip every couple of minutes is very annoying. Secondly, a beef roast is so easy to tell what it is & the it took all of the fun & enjoyment out of figuring out the meal with only my senses. I had this the last time I was there too. Every item on the plate is a distinct taste & it's the blend of flavours that is actually interesting
