Restaurant Review: Dans Le Noir, Clerkenwell in London

Words by Isabella Machin

For those seeking a dining experience beyond the conventional, Dans Le Noir, translated as ‘In the Dark’, offers an unusual and immersive culinary adventure. Since its establishment in London in 2006, this special restaurant has both delighted and intrigued guests, even making an appearance in Richard Curtis’s romantic comedy, About Time. Here, fine dining takes an entirely new dimension where guests can taste and enjoy beautifully crafted dishes in complete darkness.

Dans Le Noir, located in the heart of London in the traditional Clerkenwell district, is one of seventeen restaurants that span from Egypt to Hong Kong; all focused on offering ‘a unique sensory and human experience’.

Upon stepping through the discreet entrance door in London, guests are asked to surrender their belongings – phones, watches, and anything that emits light – ensuring that not even a smidgen of light enters the pitch-black dining room. Stripped of modern society’s equivalent to armour, we are guided to a waiting area where we are presented with a choice of two menus, with the actual dishes hidden; the surprise menu or the vegan menu. Both are crafted with meticulous care by head chef Mourad Radili and change every three to four months as to seasons.

Since 2006, Dans le Noir has been offering the opportunity to taste gourmet, creative and seasonal cuisine in complete darkness, accompanied and served by unexpected guides

Once our selections were made, we ascended the staircase to meet our guide for our experience. All ten guides at Dans le Noir are visually impaired or blind and can look after up to 22 people a day. Our guide, Michael, introduces himself before instructing me to place my hand on his shoulder and my partner to repeat this on my own shoulder. We then follow as we are led past heavy, swishing curtains and into total darkness.

As I take my first cautious steps, I am immediately struck by my vulnerability. The absence of one’s sight strips away control, intensifying the experience in ways I had not previously anticipated. Laughter, chatter and the clinking of cutlery all hit my ears as we weaved our way across the dining room to our table. Michael expertly seated us one by one with care that did not go unnoticed.

In the safety of my chair, I reached out tentatively as I explored what was on the table. I found cutlery, a napkin, a water bottle, and a pair of glasses. The first challenge? Pouring water. Michael chuckled as he instructed us to pour our water and do a ‘cheers!’ I assure you; it was a lot easier said than done.

Dans Le Noir London is one of seventeen restaurants that span from Egypt to Hong Kong: all focused on offering “a unique sensory and human experience”

The smells of our starters arrived before it did, bringing nodes of spices and fresh herbs with it. The absence of sight forced me to rely solely on the taste and the textures of the dish set in front of me. However, manoeuvring cutlery proved to be a challenge. I struggled to even get food onto my fork, sometimes resulting in no reward whatsoever, despite intense concentration.

We later learnt that chef Radili foregoes the silver altogether, opting to eat with his hands in the dark – perchance the better approach.

The main course followed, and with it, an unexpected sharpening of my hearing. I became acutely aware of the sounds around me, from the clink of glasses to the conversations surrounding us, and the guides moving around the room. The restaurant’s design, with long tables, encourages socialising among strangers Dans Le Noir’s general manager, Jessica Faye, told us. It’s one of the aspects that draws her to the restaurant. “Sometimes you have a young couple sat next to an older couple who end up chatting and ask to leave the restaurant together. They then spend one or two hours chatting over a couple of drinks after the experience. It’s lovely to witness,” she said.

Regularly ranked among the top 10 most original restaurants in the world, Dans le Noir is a unique location for a romantic dinner, or an evening with friends

As our plates were cleared, our dessert arrived. I worked out a combination of textures – hard to crunchy, and soft. An interactive dessert, it added that extra layer to the experience.

Once finished, Michael chaperoned us out of the dining room and back to the light, and slight disorientation. As my eyes slowly adjusted, we were led and sat once more in the waiting room, where we were presented with our menu, unveiling the dishes we had concentrated so hard to uncover. Chef Radili’s creative skill is evident; his approach to composing and working with a menu free from dairy, eggs, and 14 different allergens is nothing short of impressive. “We need to work on the texture, on the smell, and on the taste,” he explained. “You think you eat and know the taste of something but sometimes it tastes different.”

Emerging from Dans Le Noir unscathed, and remarkably without a single food stain, I reflected on the experience. Would I recommend it? Without a doubt.

Factbox

Address: 69-73 St John St, EC1M 4AN, London
Phone: 0207 253 1100

All imagery credit: Dans le Noir