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.
O.Noir offers a truly unique and memorable dining experience centered around eating in complete darkness, which allows guests to engage their senses of taste, smell, and touch in a brand new way. Many diners appreciate the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones, noting that the surprise menu options add an exciting layer of discovery to the meal. The service is consistently highlighted as exceptional, with professional and attentive staff members who guide patrons through the immersive environment with kindness and skill. While the majority of guests describe their visit as a one-of-a-kind highlight, some visitors mention that the atmosphere can occasionally be affected by the noise levels of larger groups or the challenge of navigating the dark space, suggesting that smaller parties or quieter times might enhance the overall tranquility of the evening.
First time I've been scammed in a restaurant!
I had a gift certificate (from la Forfaiterie) for 2 persons : 4 services & 1 cup of wine each. They told us that they didn't do 4 services anymore (which doesn't fit with the info on their website, but whatever) so instead they told us that we could have the equivalent of what has been paid for the gift certificate : 180$.
Thing is, it's not even enough for the equivalent, but with 3 services! I raised the fact that it didn't cover the taxes & the tips, but for them it was normal & they wouldn't budge.
In the end, I had to pay an additional 45$ for a lesser experience than what we were supposed to have.
About the experience, a few things
- The food was mediocre at best. Not the worse, but clearly not enough for the price point (& that's including the'no lights' settings into consideration).
- The temperature in the room was... weird. Initially it was fine, but near the end of our meal it started to get really REALLY cold. We rushed our dessert to get out ASAP.
- The noise level can get pretty intense. When we arrived (around 18h30) the noise level was okay, but about an hour later it got pretty loud. While it's not necessarily the restaurant's fault, it did impact our overall experience.
- The overall experience of eating in a pitch black setting is quite interesting!
In the end, while there's some value to the overall experience, it really doesn't justify the price point (>100$ per person). Then, there's our experience with the gift certificate that has been handled poorly.
Une expérience incroyable & vraiment originale ! Manger dans le noir est un concept surprenant & parfaitement maîtrisé. Tout était excellent, de l'accueil au repas
Un grand merci à Samy, très professionnel, attentionné & rassurant. Je recommande à 100 % !
Jan 4, 2026
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Une expérience incroyable. C'est vraiment dans le noir total. J'ai adoré l'idée d'avoir des entrées, plats principaux & desserts surprise. La nouriture est délicieuse. Notre serveur, Dominic, a été apprécié de tout notre groupe. Définitivement une expérience à vivre.
We had an amazing time at O'Noir. The experience was very unique & humbling. Our food was excellent & our waiter (Mazen) was really spectacular. Two people in our party of 5 ordered'surprise' meals & were very happy with the dishes. At first, it is a little jarring but we enjoyed the opportunity to experience something new & different. An added bonus of not being able to see anything allowed us all to focus on conversation, good company, & food. It was the highlight of our Montreal trip.
I had mixed feelings about my experience at O.Noir.
The service at the beginning was excellent, & the concept itself is very unique & interesting. Dining in complete darkness is truly an experience. However, once seated, the atmosphere changed significantly due to very large groups being extremely loud. There was yelling, constant laughter, & disruptive behavior, to the point where other guests were asking them to be quiet. One woman even took out her phone repeatedly to take pictures of her food, which completely broke the immersion.
I understand that when someone loses their sight, they may naturally compensate by speaking louder, but I strongly feel that guests should be reminded to keep their voices at a reasonable level. I also think limiting table sizes to no more than four people would greatly improve the experience-large groups really take away from the calm & immersive atmosphere. The noise became so overwhelming that we rushed through our meal just to leave, & I ended up with a migraine.
As for the food, it was mediocre overall. While it is impressive that the chefs are visually impaired, the execution could be improved. I ordered the beef (sirloin/flank), & it was very difficult to cut & chew in the dark. The pieces were too large, which made eating uncomfortable & even nauseating.
I would recommend doing the two-course option instead of the four-course meal. There is about a 30-minute wait between each course, which makes it a very long time to remain in complete darkness-especially when paired with excessive noise.
The concept is excellent, but the overall experience could be significantly improved with better crowd control, smaller group sizes, & clearer expectations for guest behavior.
What an interesting experience. Absolutely enjoyed my time there. The service was great, cocktails were good, food was good. Would definitely recommend trying this place out.
An experience of a lifetime! Dark it is & you cannot see your hand in front of you face. Sophia our server was wonderful & food was delicious especially the surprise dessert. Your other senses will kick in especially hearing. It is not likely any louder than any other restaurant but you can hear conversations then as more people arrive it does become louder but it was not distracting to us as we enjoyed the smells & tastes of the food provided. I would highly recommend. Thank you Gabriel & Sophia for wonderful service!
