The purpose of life is to have newer and richer experiences without fear. Every experience brings with it a mistake or a success. At the same time, we learn more about ourselves as individuals. I’ve always told myself that life is not about its length but its width. For me, it’s about filling it with different immersive experiences. I can learn more about myself and cherish the memories along the way. This lets me enjoy the journey that I get to create each day.
From your taste buds bursting with the melody of flavours in your dish. The ever so quiet beat dancing towards your ears. Laughter and conversations flowing without ceasing. Your outfit and fragrance adorning your body. Your eyes captivated by the decor and the ambiance around you. Going out to eat should always be an experience.
When it stops feeling like an experience or you want to try something new, this is where immersive or experiential dining comes into play. This type of dining has been around for a couple of decades. I believe the first time I heard about it was in 2017. However, I hadn’t heard of any of these experiences being in Switzerland. Whenever I travelled abroad, I was always looking out for these types of experiences because I like an adventure. I thought this is a simple adventure that I could combine with something that I do everyday: eating!
Luckily, I do know that there are a lot of different types of immersive dining experiences around the world. There are some in Zurich, Geneva, Paris, London, Seychelles, New York, Vietnam, Thailand, Dubai, Lisbon, Abu Dhabi, Prague, St. Kitts etc. You just need to know where to look and how to search for them.
Solo Dates In A Jar
In 2023, I created a solo dates jar filled with every single activity under the sun. The aim of this jar was to keep my dating activities creative and new. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing movie nights at my place. But I wanted to force myself out of my comfort zone by doing something new. This meant travelling to new towns and cities to do an activity and explore more of Switzerland.
Every two weeks, I plan a solo date activity that I picked out of the jar. Sometimes, I might pick out an activity that looks great but it’s the wrong season to do it. Then, it goes back into the jar and I pick out something else. If the activity requires more time to plan, then I push it back by another two to four weeks. I picked out ‘Go for an immersive dining experience’ from the jar and started planning away. Ultimately, that led me to choose Dans Le Noir Genève (Dinner In The Dark).
What Is An Immersive Dining Experience
An immersive dining experience is a concept to enhance a dining experience for people. It engages them with more multi-sensory experiences that go beyond the food and the setting. The aim is to engage all of your senses to create an immersive and memorable adventure. Some immersive concepts will include a combination of elements such as storytelling, thematic decorations, technology and entertainment.
It has been a growing trend in the culinary world for a few years. With the rise of pop-up restaurants and the increasing competition in the industry, restaurateurs have realised the importance of bringing something unique. There is a growing demand for something more. Immersive environments have given a new meaning to the word ‘dining’. And I don’t think it’s going to stop anytime soon.
What Different Immersive Concepts Are There
This kind of dining experience comes in various forms. There is no one-size-fit-all approach to make a unique dining experience. Here are some that you may have heard of:
- Multi-sensory dining such as Dinner In The Dark, The Alchemist
- Theme restaurants such as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, The Murder Express, Le Petit Chef etc.
- Dinner theatres such as Circus, Everyman Cinema, Nitehawk Cinema etc.
- Game rooms such as The Ballroom, Le Brise Glace
- Speakeasies such as Le Vestibule, Red Frog etc.
- Unusual locations such as Dinner In The Sky, DinnerHopping etc.
Why Dinner In The Dark
Dinner In The Dark was not my first choice. Actually, I had planned to go the Le Petit Chef in Bangkok. Unfortunately, I did not reserve my table in time so I missed out on that experience. When I searched for other immersive dining experiences near me, the only options were dining in the dark. I figured that it would be something different that pulled me out of my comfort zone. So why not? Let me sign up.
Dans Le Noir are a chain of restaurants where guests are served in complete darkness. It was founded in Paris by a French entrepreneur, Edouard de Broglie, in 2004. Since its inception, other restaurants have popped up across the world. By limiting the sense of sight, all your other senses are intensified, including the interactions between people. The servers are either blind or are visually impaired. This opportunity provides them with an option to work in the culinary and hospitality industry. A percentage of the profits goes towards supporting charities for the blind and visually impaired.
Dans Le Noir Geneve Review
When I told some of my friends and family that I was spending an evening eating dinner in the dark, I got a lot of questions. I hadn’t heard of anyone that I knew in my immediate circles that had done this experience before. There were two options in Geneva. I figured it would be a great opportunity to see if I would enjoy it.
In April 2024, I headed to the Ritz-Carlton in Geneva for immersive dining experience at Dans Le Noir. Everything that emits light cannot go into the room with you. No phones, watches and cameras were allowed in the dining room. It all went into my bag and then placed into a safe room. I didn’t descend into darkness straightaway. The host walked me through the concept in a well-lit room and I was able to ask any questions that I needed. While I was in the waiting room, I had a glass of bubbly.
We were told to go to the bathroom before the dinner. Going to the dinner during the meal is allowed but it does ruin the experience. When it was time to take our seats, we were lined up. We had to place our left hand on the left shoulder of the person in front of us. Then we were led into the dining room.
For my experience, there were five of us in total sitting on the same table. There were two couples. One was visiting from London and spoke English. The other couple were based in Geneva, spoke both English and French. The servers speak multiple languages including English.
The Immersive Meals
At first, I felt a little overwhelmed being in the dark. After a few minutes, I eased myself into the experience.
Each dish that we were served had interesting flavours and textures. There is cutlery on the table that you can use but it’s normal for guests to use their hands. I used my hands a lot to figure out the distance between me and a plate. Also, to figure out the layout of the dish. When you’re eating in the dark, I guess you are more conscious about not missing your mouth and dropping anything on your clothes. My senses were definitely intensified as I had no idea what I was eating. I tried my best to pay attention to the crunchiness and smell of the foods to guess what I was eating. The dessert had white chocolate on the outside. I cannot stand white chocolate. Every time I tried to find the cake part, I ended up with a mouthful of white chocolate.
At the end of the experience, we were led back into the light. Our host revealed what the dishes were and what the wines were. They have a very strict policy about taking pictures, which is understandable. I have no pictures of the experience. The dishes change season by season which allows you to do the experience multiple times.
Price Tiers
The menu was preset and we weren’t told what we were going to eat. That made the guessing part a lot of fun while you were eating. When you register for the experience, they do ask you to note down your allergies. You can also include things that you don’t like/prohibited to eat. There are two menu options, including an entrée, a main dish and dessert for CHF 98 ($108). Then the second option includes the full meal with drinks for CHF 128 ($140).
Overall, it was an unforgettable night! It is a lot harder than you think to guess what you are eating without your eyesight. It was definitely a great experience for a solo date but I wouldn’t recommend it as a casual thing because it is pricey. For a special occasion, I would recommend it. If you are afraid of the dark or are easily overwhelmed being in those type of spaces, I would urge you to choose another experience that I’ve shared earlier in this post.
I would love to go again with a friend that enjoys this type of experience. Luckily, I have one person in mind. Honestly, don’t close yourself to an immersive experience if you have never tried it before.
Would you try an immersive experience for a solo date or a date night? I hope that this review has given you the confidence to try something new and out of your comfort zone. Make sure to hit that subscribe button to join the Confidence Through Fitness community and never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.
Until next time,
Folakemi
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