The restaurant

A UNIQUE SENSORY AND
HUMAN EXPERIENCE IN LONDON

UNUSUAL RESTAURANT IN LONDON

DANS LE NOIR ? AN UNUSUAL RESTAURANT

Dans le Noir ? located in the heart of London invites you to dine in complete darkness, accompanied and served by unexpected guides. Enjoying dinner or lunch in pitch darkness is an original experience that allows us to re-evaluate our perception of taste by reawakening senses overwhelmed by the omnipresence of sight, to reinvigorate our relationship with the world and others and to experience a surprising encounter with something different.
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AN ORIGINAL VENUE IN THE HEART OF LONDON
A gastronomic and convivial experience awaits you in the heart of London in the traditional Clerkenwell district, a stone's throw from the City. Enjoy a surprisingly convivial moment, a time which is particularly conducive to meeting others, as popularised in a key scene in the Richard Curtis film "About Time". Freed from our preconceptions and social conventions, what remains becomes a source of curiosity. The experience is made possible by an unexpected guide, making a visit a unique encounter with something different.
THE DANS LE NOIR ? CONCEPT

A SENSORY JOURNEY

The experience of dining in the dark has many surprises in store for you! First of all through the delicious surprise menus created by our chef, Fred Dickieson, cooked with quality ingredients, 80% organic in the case of fruits and vegetables, accompanied by refined surprise wines. Flavours, aromas, textures, temperatures,... you are carried away by an original, culinary experience where your senses are fully awakened. Focusing our attention on taste, losing the colour of a wine and instead smelling, touching, tasting... a range of sensations that stimulate your emotions.

OPEN MINDED CONVIVIALITY

Freed from the weight of people’s gazes, preconceptions and social conventions, communication becomes simpler, authentic and spontaneous. Completely reassess your relationship with others and the world. Your neighbour can become a curiosity to be explored. Discussions intermingle and then deepen, bonds are forged, the spirit opens... An opportunity to meet and reflect on the way we consume or on our relationship with others.

AN ENCOUNTER WITH DIVERSITY

Guided and served by a blind or partially sighted person, this unusual dining experience is a moment of positive empathy that breaks our preconceived ideas of disability. Driven by this reversal of roles, the experience allows us to perceive the richness of diversity. A good experience is often better than a long speech! All our guides and sensory experts have found strength in their differences.
Any questions? View our FAQ
Des menus surprises

SURPRISE MENUS

You don't choose what you're going to enjoy in the dark, you just tell us what you can't eat and we adapt the menu so that your experience is complete and safe. Then it's up to you to play and rediscover flavours, ingredients, grape varieties, wine regions, etc.

TASTY, REFINED CUISINE

Our gourmet cuisine is based on a rigorous selection of quality ingredients and the talent of our chef Gabriel Manole and his team, who develop menus suitable for an unconventional experience. What we consider important is the harmony of flavours in a menu and the authenticity of the tastes in a pitch dark environment.

ALLERGIES AND DIETARY RESTRICTIONS ARE RESPECTED

Our teams do everything they can to meet your dietary restrictions and allergies. When making your booking, simply tell us, and remind us on the day of your visit when placing your order. We will also ask you to tell your server when they bring your meal. Dans le Noir ? offers a choice of three menus, one of which is vegetarian or vegan.

BACK INTO THE LIGHT FOR A DEBRIEFING

After experiencing your meal in the dark, our teams will use photos so that you can discover the dishes and drinks that you have been served. This is a memorable moment when people are often caught by surprise. Many of our guests realise that they need to visit again in order to improve their sensory acuity and culinary culture!

an original dinner DANS LE NOIR ?

AMONG THE 10 MOST ORIGINAL RESTAURANTS IN THE WORLD

Regularly ranked among the 10 most original restaurants in the world, Dans le Noir? is celebrated by many gastronomic and tourist guides and has won dozens of awards around the world for its commitment to social inclusion and innovation.

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DANS LE NOIR ? GIVING BIRTH TO AN ORGANIC BRAND

This approach has initiated another concept of catering developed by the same company: TastyBio by Dans le Noir ?, a take-away food service, delivery and catering 100% Bio in biodegradable containers. Only available in Paris for the moment.

tastybio restaurant bio
MORE INFORMATION
an unforgettable dinner DANS LE NOIR?

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

ADDRESS

30-31 Clerkenwell Green,
EC1R 0DU
London

SOCIAL NETWORKS

  • Monday

    Dinner: from 6pm

  • Tuesday to Friday

    Dinner: from 6pm to 9:15pm

  • Saturday

    Lunch: from 12:00 to 3pm

    Dinner: from 6pm to 9:15pm

  • Sunday

    Lunch: from 1pm to 2pm

    Dinner: from 6pm to 9:15pm

  • Check availability on the online reservation system. Feel free to call us for groups, events, Christmas parties.

OPENING TIMES

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Access

Buses

55/63/243/N35

UNDERGROUND

• Farringdon station on Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City lines

• Chancery lane station on Central line

Parking

No private parking

Parking facility on East Clerkenwell Road

Parking at Junction Farringdon Road

Parking North Farringdon Road right after Bowling Green

faqs

IS THE DINING ROOM REALLY COMPLETELY DARK?
Absolutely! Not a glimmer of light, and no candles! To keep the room completely dark, you will be asked to place all potential light sources such as lighters, mobile phones or cameras in the cloakroom provided free of charge. We will also ask you to deposit your coat and/or handbag and other bags or objects, to free yourself of any clutter, avoid losing something or creating a dangerous obstacle in the dark. Remember to put your watch in your pocket or in your locker if it’s valuable. Almost all watches are luminous.
HOW DO I ATTRACT MY GUIDE'S ATTENTION?
Simply by calling their first name. You will be introduced to your guide before entering the dark room. Don't just raise your hand because you might wait for a very long time!
HOW CAN YOU EAT IN COMPLETE DARKNESS? ISN'T IT MESSY? WON’T WE STAIN OUR CLOTHES?
When we are deprived of our main sense, sight, we tend to use our other senses more: hearing, touch and smell. Using them, we manage to eat in the dark, to find our cutlery, and so on... Even if at first the experience is intimidating, it becomes more and more enjoyable when you start to relax. Our blind guides are trained to ensure visitor well-being, they will give you all the advice you need. We recommend that you don’t wear valuable clothes to avoid any stress or accidents. The restaurant is not responsible for stains or accidents to your clothes. However, rest assured that we are much more cautious in the dark and instinctively move more slowly. As a result, incidents or stains are infrequent.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHERE PEOPLE SIT IN THE RESTAURANT?
In our opinion, Dans le Noir ? is not just a sensory experience but also a convivial and human one. For more than 15 years, we have chosen to welcome our guests to large tables. Meeting people in pitch darkness is an interesting part of the experience. The context means that people can have discussions without prejudice and communication becomes more fluid, easy and authentic. If you come in a group, with your partner or a friend, you will be seated with the people who are with you. Other people you don't know will be next to you. The darkness will help you if you wish to overcome your shyness and enjoy this unique experience in a friendly atmosphere. It often happens that groups who first meet in the dark stay to chat over a cocktail or coffee after the experience. And who knows, maybe you’ll end up sitting next to a celebrity!
WHY BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED WAITERS?
Even if we do not discriminate, blind or partially sighted people are naturally more effective in the dark. When the blind person guides the sighted person, this inversion is an astonishing exercise of empathy that forces us to make an unusual transfer of trust. It is an amazing approach to raising positive awareness of blindness and disability. Dans le Noir ? has an amazing ability to bring out capabilities and kindness beyond appearances and preconceptions.
HOW DO YOU MOVE IN COMPLETE DARKNESS?
Visitors are not allowed to move around the dark room alone, to go to the toilet or to leave by themselves. They could put other clients and waiters in danger. Guides need clear walkways to work around tables. If you want to move, make sure that your guide is told and is able to direct you and assist you.
HOW DO YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER? HOW CAN YOU SEE THE MENU?
The reception is responsible for taking orders in the illuminated reception area. But you can of course order additional drinks or dishes from your guide in the dark room whenever you want. Remember to tell us about any allergies and remind the guide when they bring your meal. All our menus are surprises. So you won't know what's in the different dishes. You must mention any allergies and dietary restrictions when ordering so that the surprise menu is adapted accordingly, as well as reminding your guide when they bring your meal.
ARE MANY OF YOUR VISITORS VISUALLY IMPAIRED?
Not particularly. It’s something they experience daily and concerns tens of thousands of people in the country. But those who have visited generally enjoy the experience because it’s a unique way to make their friends and family aware of their daily lives.
ARE THE CHEFS BLIND? IS THE KITCHEN ALSO IN THE DARK?
The chefs are not particularly visually impaired, even though we do not discriminate in the recruitment process. The kitchen is lit for obvious safety reasons and so that our chef and his team can work on flavours and dishes made with fresh and delicious ingredients. Everything is designed and organised to offer customers a delicious and unique culinary experience.
ARE THE TOILETS IN THE DARK?
That would probably be fun, but no! The toilets are lit! We strongly advise our guests to use them before the experience so that it isn’t interrupted. But it is of course possible to use them at any time. Simply call your guide by their first name and ask them to escort you to the illuminated area. Then you can go to the toilet and come back to continue your experience by asking the reception to call your guide to take you back to your place.
DO YOU OFTEN HAVE CUSTOMERS WHO CAN'T STAND THE DARKNESS?
Despite a surprising first impression, the vast majority of our visitors adapt almost instantly to the context of a dining room in complete darkness. Our guides know how to put you at ease and reassure you. It is an incredible experience, most people are fascinated by this very unusual and exciting moment that allows us to re-evaluate our senses and our relationship with others.
HOW DO YOU ENSURE OUR SAFETY?
Safety is our primary concern. Safety equipment is adapted to the premises. Lights are switched on automatically or at the request of any member of staff in the event of safety-related incidents. Emergency exits and safety equipment have been designed by us in conjunction with the authorities and are checked very regularly to ensure that they are still operational.
WHAT TYPE OF CUISINE DO YOU SERVE?
Our restaurant offers an innovative and eclectic gastronomic cuisine. Our chefs work particularly on the intensity of flavours and aromas, playing with textures and temperatures. The surprise menus are specially designed for this unconventional tasting context in order to offer our guests a real sensory journey. Naturally, all dishes are first tested in pitch darkness by our chefs and sensory experts.
WHAT DO YOU DO IF SOMEBODY HAS A SPECIAL DIET?
When you order, our reception staff will ask you if you have any special dietary requirements or allergies. If so, the chef will modify your menu accordingly. Please remind your guide of these allergies or restrictions when they bring your meal to the dark room to avoid any problems.
HOW LONG DO PEOPLE SPEND IN THE DARK ROOM?
Visitors spend about an hour and a half in the dark room. But this can vary from one group to another or from one sitting to the next.
WHAT ARE THE PRICES?

We have made every effort to keep our prices affordable, to make this experience accessible to all. The current price takes into account safety requirements, the fact that we employ more staff than other restaurants and a cuisine based on fresh products of organic quality. The additional cost of the experience is estimated at £15 per person compared to a traditional restaurant with a similar menu.

HOW MANY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS DO YOU EMPLOY?

We employ between 10 and 12 visually impaired or blind guides at the London restaurant. More than 30 people among our teams worldwide are vision impaired which is almost half of our staff.

Other blind experts are also available to run our Sensory Lounge and its wine tasting sessions, for special events such as organising recruitment sessions, company events, official receptions, product launches, press events, sensory workshops, brainstorming or team building sessions, etc People with visual impairments don’t just work in the company as waiters. For example, the Managing Director of our international company is blind. We also often employ consultants, experts or blind trainers on an ad hoc basis in France, the UK and Europe.

We also employ deaf people in London in The Taste of Silence, another establishment on St John Street 5 minutes from Dans le Noir ? We recommend this other experience in British Sign Language, led by a mixed team of deaf and hearing people.

HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE?
There is a maximum of 60 covers in the main dark dining room and 16 in our private dining room. But with more than one sitting, we can accommodate up to 150 people, or even 220 people per evening.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FUNNY ANECDOTES?
Some customers have admitted to licking their plates in order not to waste a single drop of melted chocolate! They were absolutely right! People who had met on an Internet dating site decided to have their first blind date in the dark room. It was only after their meal and over a drink in our brightly lit bar that they first saw each other's faces. We also hold various events in the dark such as concerts, reading sessions or debates. These events are always incredible, sometimes moving, leaving very good memories! In complete darkness, we are all equal. Whether you are unknown or a celebrity (princes in London, a Prime Minister in France, actors, musicians, athletes, etc.), you never know who is sitting next to you in the darkness!
CAN WE BRING OUR CHILDREN?
We welcome children over the age of 6 (they are often much more enthusiastic than adults!). We ask, of course, that they be accompanied and under the responsibility of an adult.
DO YOU NEED TO BOOK IN ADVANCE?

To dine in our London restaurant, you can book by phone or email using the form below, but the easiest way is to book online using our booking service where availability is updated in real-time.

However, please let us know 24 hours in advance if you change your mind and decide not to come. This will avoid bothering the guide scheduled for your table for nothing. Our team will be able to call you back to confirm, while large groups must confirm their menu choices.

HOW CAN I GET INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS?

For all company group requests, contact our reservation service on 020 7253 1100 or using the following form.

 All information about our news and special corporate or general public events, is available on our blog and on our social networks. 

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