Dans Le Noir Will Have a Sunday Gospel Brunch

Good news everyone: after over two years of waiting and a few false starts Dans Le Noir, the dark dining concept, will open up its first New York location in November, and reps say they are taking reservations now at booking-nyc@danslenoir.com. For those unfamiliar, this is the restaurant wherein diners will eat in complete darkness (after checking their phones at the door) and will be served by blind waiters.

According to a press release, reprinted in full below for reader convenience, menus range from $43 - 57. And when diners leave the restaurant they are handed photographs of the food they just ate. Also, there will be a Gospel Brunch on Sundays.

New York, NY- October 18th, 2011 - Dans le Noir ?, is soon to have a new address in the United States and not in any other city but the “Big Apple.” This unique dining experience of eating “dans le noir,” (French, for in the dark) will soon be open in November on 246 West 38th St., New York’s Fashion District and just three blocks from Times Square.

Dans le Noir ? diners will experience eating in complete darkness, guided and served by either a visually impaired or blind staff. Using three of their five senses, taste, touch, and smell, patrons of Dans le Noir ?, can savor simple, fresh and hands-on cuisine in a pitch dark dining setting. This allows for the diner a unique sensory experience of diverse sounds, flavors, smells and textures. The unsighted diner is the one who ultimately takes control of the situation, depending less on their vision, they depend on their blind wait staff to guide them on their experience. Personal appearance and visual style do not play a part when dining at Dans le Noir, people get to know you through other senses based mainly on personality. Unlike other restaurants, this place is totally devoid from vanity.

“It is a place to open your mind and question yourself on taste, but also on your relationships with other people. It is a rich experience with many outcomes,” said Edouard de Broglie, founder of Dans le Noir ?.

Dans le Noir ?, will serve a prix fixe menu adapted to the theme of total darkness through four surprise menu choices: fish, meat, vegetarian, as well as a total surprise menu. Menus are freshly conceived by a local team of chefs with the support of Chef Tourangeau Olivier Romain, who has been working for more than 20 years for prestigious and international clientele. In addition, the wines are selected with the support of Dans le Noir ?’s expert, Christophe Garnier. Dans le Noir ? will also offer a late dinner on Saturdays and Gospel Brunch on Sundays. Prices range from $43 for pre-theater matinee and gospel brunch, to $57 for regular dining (without drinks), and a different pricing for private events.

In New York, Dans le Noir ? is working in close partnership with VISIONS/Services for the blind, as well as Lighthouse International to hire the staff. The New York restaurant will be able to seat 80 patrons in the Dark Room, with a bar lounge area to welcome people.

Dans le Noir ? has locations in Paris, London and Barcelona. Numerous other experiences have been developed in Moscow, Warsaw, Geneva, Bangkok. Another franchise is set to open this October in St. Petersburg, Russia.

As a stimulating and unforgettable dining experience, Dans le Noir ? will bring a lot of questions to mind as symbolized by the question mark in the logo. The first Dans le Noir ? was launched seven years ago in Paris to follow a program developed by Paul Guinot Foundation for the blind which started in 1997.

If you would like more information, website and reservations will open by October 20th 2011. Corporate and private events can be booked as soon as possible.