- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
O.Noir
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
620 Church StToronto, ON M4Y 2G2
Neighbourhoods: Church-Wellesley Village, Downtown Core
(416) 922-6647
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
25 reviews for O.Noir
25 reviews in English
-
Review from Angelica L.
North York, ON
2/1/2012
I love this place. If you've never been here don't get turned off by the bad reviews.
If you are someone that's adventurous and like to try new things then you NEED to try this place out.
I came here with 5 other friends and 5 of us had so much fun and really tried to relax and enjoy the food. On the other hand one of our friend was just complaining about being scared in the dark whatsoever.
I would say without that friend I would have given the whole experience a 5 star but since it wasn't their fault, I'm giving 5 anyways.
Victor was great. It was our first time there and he was very patient with us.
I got the main and dessert
Filet Mignon (blue rare)- YUM! I was concerned that I might cut myself but turned out they cut it for you. BONUS
Surprise dessert- For those of you that haven't tried it before I don't want to spoil it for u but I can say I would rather have the chocolate cake.
Prices are reasonable, It's the only dine in the dark restaurant in Toronto!
loveitloveitloveit
will be back! -
Review from Katherine S.
North York, ON
11/20/2011
When deciding where to go to Valentine's Day dinner, we decided to try something a little different and have an "experience" , instead of just dinner. So we made reservations at O. Noir. Overall, it was a good time and a good laugh.
One recommendation: Maybe don't wear your BEST clothes to this place, as there is a very really possibility that you will drop food on yourself.
THE WAY IT WORKS: For those of you who don't know - You enter into a lounge with brick walls and dim lights. You pre-order your meal and can order drinks from the bar there. THen you are introduced to your waiter(ess), who is visually impaired, and are led into a pitch black room and seated at your table.
And it IS pitch black. You can't see your hand in front of your face. Your eyes never adjust and there is a sort of entrance way into the room, so you never even get light from the door when someone enters the room.
You are then served your food and have to go about the task of trying to eat it, while blind. This is a challenge, because you can't see the food and because even when you THINK you've finally speared a veggie, for example, when you bring the fork to your mouth, you realized you've lost it somewhere along the way. Usually into your lap.
This is DEFINITELY an experience, does an interesting job at raising awareness, but here are my issues with this place: The food was good, but not great. This becomes more apparent when you can't even see the presentation of the food and are reliant entirely on taste. It needs to taste GREAT. This was distinctly forgettable food.
I would have liked to see the room we were in at the end of the meal. YES, I know this would require everyone eating at the same time, no new people entering, but I was a little sketched out about never seeing where I was. Basically, you could be in dirty, dank basement storage room and you'd never know!
Finally, it's very expensive!
I found that I liked it to try once and say I've done it, but it's gimmicky and that doesn't translate well into a place that will become a go-to favorite. Once is enough for me! -
Review from Nita L.
Toronto, ON
11/18/2011
My gf invited me to O.Noir for a belated birthday dinner. Naturally, I turned to Yelp and was less than impressed by the mediocre reviews. Perhaps my experience was shaped by expecting less and then being pleasantly surprised, I don't know. I do know that O.Noir surpassed my expectations.
The waiting area was warm and inviting. Staff was available to answer questions about the menu and procedure. You pre-order your meal and are then led into the pitch black room by a friendly, visually impaired waiter.
At first, I felt a bit claustrophobic, but once I made it to my seat and felt the seating area and table placement with my hands, I relaxed. The room was somewhat noisy, likely because my sense of hearing was heightened. I ordered the fillet mignon, which came precut and was delicious. My gf opted for the suprise dish, which she guessed correctly was chicken and veggies. It was somewhat difficult to manage cutlery and I opted for eating with my hands when necessary - hey nobody's watching you! I found it surprisingly easy to converse about intimate topics, probably because I was under the cover of darkness! I'd recommend this as a place to bring a friend to talk about a sensitive issue or even for the ultimate "blind date"! Dessert was a delicious - rich chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream in a little bowl. I appreciated the ice cream on the side to avoid any potential mess from having it on top of the cake.
I recommend O.Noir as a great one-time experience (since it's a little pricey at $38 for a 3-course meal, $32 for 2-courses). Keep an open mind and you'll enjoy it! -
Review from Terry P.
7/31/2011
Very cool concept, and I had a fun time. It's too bad the food sucked. My appetizer was calamari and it was very meh. For my main, I had shrimp and risotto. The shrimp were a nice size and not bad tasting, but the risotto was bland and there seemed to be some sort of sauce on the side of my plate that was pretty bad. My friends had steak, which they both described as "ok". (The steak comes pre-cut by the way. No steak knives in the dark. That would make for a great CSI episode though.)
The eating in the dark concept was well-executed. You order at the bar before you go in to the dining room. You're then introduced to your server (all servers are blind) and brought in to the dining room (you form a little train with your server in the lead). You will need to turn off your cell phones and any other devices before you go in. Once we were in there, our server (Diana) did a good job of taking care of us, passing us drinks one at a time, gathering all the plates from one course before bringing another, etc. All the things they have to do so that we can eat in total darkness.
The menu is prix-fixe by the way. $31 for an app and main or $39 for an app, main, and dessert.
Despite my 2* rating, I do believe this is worth checking out, for the experience. Don't get me wrong - the food is not "bad" and it's definitely not inedible. I don't regret my decision to go to O Noir. However, the food needs to be improved, and it definitely doesn't justify the prices they're charging. -
Review from William P.
Toronto, ON
7/25/2011
I was intrigued by the experience of eating in complete darkness and was not disappointed in that regard. It was incredibly interesting to be seated and served by a blind server and I was fascinated by how well she navigated the dining room and made us all feel comfortable with our surroundings.
I ordered all surprise items from the menu and loved the mystery of not knowing what was coming to me.
Unfortunately, the food didn't at all live up to my expectations . . . the entree that I was given (chicken and gravy) was adequate, but reminded me of a generic Holiday dinner form any number of convenience lunch restaurants, rather than a meal fit to deserve its price tag. My appetizer was fine too, but nothing to write home about.
All-in-all, I'm really glad I tried it and loved the experience, but I won't be going back. -
Review from Ryan T.
Toronto, ON
7/22/2011
This place was very exciting, something fun and new. I felt an excited suspense all around me. Wondering what the "surprise dish" might be, and picturing what the inside might look like.
The food suffered from the artifact of old age that was seeping out from the decor.
Surprise! Sliced, broiled, chicken breast in gravy, served with fully cooked yet firm potato, and green beans.
I wish this place had a better menu, it would have made the whole experience 4 star, easily. -
Review from Eyal D.
7/1/2011
5 stars for the concept... i have never eaten in complete darkness
1 star for the food. Everything was salty and tasted like we were eating cafeteria food. I was not "surprised" by the "surprise" meal, it was kinda of boring.
1 star for the decor, it was a stuffy basement restaurant (not in the actual dark dinning room, but in the entrance bar area)
We ate late, so when we left we noticed that one of the servers who was leaving at the same time was actually not blind (not that it was advertised that she was but she was wearing dark sunglasses in the restaurant)... again Im not accusing just highlighting. -
Review from Teena D.
3/4/2011
To celebrate my sister's birthday, I wanted to do something fun and different. I thought O.Noir would be just that. I'd heard from friends that it is an interesting experience.
Already the rage in Europe, Australia, L.A., New York and Montreal - O.NOIR - Canada's first-ever "Dine in the Dark" restaurant now invites Torontonians to experience food, drink and conversation like never before - without their sight!
"It's a sensual dining experience like no other!" says O.NOIR owner and founder Moe Alameddine. "When you eat food in the dark, your remaining senses are heightened to savour the smell and taste of food. Even simple, everyday dishes like potatoes and yogurt take on a culinary flare."
But 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 restaurant's entire wait staff.
This socially conscious concept sprang from Jorge Spielmann, a blind pastor in Zurich who used to blindfold his dinner guests at his home so they could share his eating experience. In 1999, Spielmann opened Blindekuh (German for Blind Cow), a project aimed at teaching the sighted about the sightless world, and provide jobs for blind people.
When you enter, you wait in the lounge where you can have a drink. Maria, the bartender, took our food order in the lounge. Gord and Sister Sarah ordered Grilled Portobello Mushroom with Parmigiano shavings and balsamic vinegar for their starters. Gord and I both ordered Five Spice Filet mignon served with Potatoes and Vegetables (we passed on the veggies, though) as our main. Sister Sarah ordered Pasta with light Tomato Sauce and Vegetables. For dessert, Gord and I ordered Dark Chocolate Mousse with Rasberry. Sister Sarah opted for the "Surprise Dessert". They have a "surprise" starter, main and dessert on the menu ... you have no idea what it is until they bring it to you and you have to figure it out when you eat it.
Gord and I knew we'd be eating in the dark. We had told Sister Sarah that there was something special about the restaurant but we wouldn't tell her what.
Tracy, our server, came to lead us into the restaurant ... we had to put our left hand on the shoulder of the person ahead of us. No doubt that confused Sister Sarah!
The restaurant is pitch dark ... serious, it's DARK. You can't see a thing ... nothing! I must admit that it is freaky at first and takes a while to get used to. Tracy was great and told us where everything was ... our knife, fork, butter, etc.
The potatoes were thickly sliced and the steak was cut up. I tried eating with my utensils but gave up and ate with my hands. I did eat my dessert with the my spoon ... which was guided by my fingers.
Because it wasn't very crowded, they let us stay longer than usual (we were there about three hours) to continue to enjoy the experience.
The next time I have visitors from out of town, I'd definitely take them there. The food was good and the service was excellent!
You should check it out! Go during the week, though, because Tracy said it gets loud during the weekends (it's sold out) and not as enjoyable. -
Review from Imran N.
3/24/2011
For a real different experience, the latest addition in Toronto is a 'blind' restaurant. It's called 'O Noir'. Basically, you eat in COMPLETE DARKNESS and you get served by blind ppl. It's something your friends will think is really different. It's about $38 per head for a three course meal. The food Is pretty good (though I wish the portions were a little bigger). Bascially, it's really good if you order the filet mignon for your main course (as usually filets are $30 or so in other restaurants). You can even choose to have a 'surprise' appetizer, or desert. You will have no idea what it is, nor can you actually see it. Make a reservation before hand.
I had tonnes of fun as I went two days in a row. The first time, i was getting used to the experience. The second time, I was stealing food of my friends plates and pulling little pranks. Was tonnes of fun.
Though i've been told by a few restauranteurs that it's become a very common place for some public necking and mischief. Not sure if i want to go back with that knowledge.
But lets still face the facts here - as different as it is, it is still eating in the dark, in some random basement, on cheap furniture, with terrible service and banquetish food. It's jsut unique - thats all. -
Review from Anon O.
Toronto, ON
8/3/2011
3 girlfriends and i went here one night a few months ago and i still tell people about my experience with "dining in the dark". we were all excited after reading about O.Noir and what would seem to be an interesting dining experience. It's a great concept - incorporating sense depravation into dining as an experiment to see if the other senses (taste, sound, etc) would be amplified. I also found it interesting that the servers were all legally blind and offered to explain their day-to-day situation with us.
The restaurant decor is horrible. The waiting room is dimly lit (for a good reason) and it looks like your grandmothers house. Furnished from what seems like 19th century furniture and a fake bookcase (come one, at least have reading material for the wait!). You pre-order your food and drinks and then wait for the servers to take you in.
You enter in a line with one hand on the shoulder of the person in front of you. it's PITCH black and you can't see a thing, but what you hear is incredibly loud dinner guests screaming, laughing and talking. I suppose everyone is seated relatively close to one another (more on this later) because you can hear everyones conversation and even chewing if you really pay attention. Once you're inside, you will have a hard time getting the attention of the waiter if you wish to use the restroom or get a sense of anxiety and want to step outside. You literally have to SCREAM your waiters name which adds to the already obnoxious atmosphere.
sure it's fun for the first 5 minutes. you're sitting in the dark, you don't know where your water is, whose leg is touching yours and how the hell you are going to eat. but this gets boring fast. you end up waiting a long time for your food & drink and it's less then fabulous. i had ordered the surprise me options for both my courses and drink (they would choose the meal for me and i'd have to guess what i was eating). the drink itself was pretty gross, some watered down mix of rum and orange creamsicle tasting liqueur. my appetizer came and it had turned out to be the calamari. it was squishy and overcooked, nothing special. this took me a very long to eat for i had to feel around on my plate with my fingers. one of my friends accidentally dipped her hand into the butter container and smeared it all over the table. it was rather disgusting, i felt like i was a toddler learning to eat. my main course was a badly done steak that was cut up into pieces and potatoes which tasted stale. definitely not impressed, i could have made a better meal at home. my dessert was chocolate cake that was so thick and sweet i couldn't finish it. it was a chocolate overdose, even my friend who is a self proclaimed chocolate addict decided it was an overload.
while we were "enjoying" our food, the people beside us had gotten drunk and spilled water on their table which magically happened to seep into ours (hence the close seating) and then proceeded to order martinis to get furthermore plastered. they really should monitor how much people drink in this place because it's a hazard. the one girl ended up knocking over her martini glass and it shattered on the floor. we didn't know where the broken glass was and the server didn't seem to care for no one bothered to clean it up or ask if we or the people next to us were okay.
when we left the darkness it was a shock to be exposed to the dim light. thank god they opted for that instead of tacky light because my eyes hurt for approximately 10 minutes afterwards. i ended up paying $50 for my food and drink (1) which was a HUGE waste of money for the quality of food i had eaten. i suppose i paid for the experience (ha ha). i don't even want to think of what the place looks like with the lights on, they probably have cheap plastic chairs from the 80s and old tables that fit with the rest of the decor.
as we left we were all disappointed, our excitement had long faded, as did our anxiety but hey at least we get to say we tried it. we also joked about blind dates at o.noir, wouldn't that be fun? i don't recommend it!Listed in: FOOD & DRINK
-
Review from Amber T.
Toronto, ON
10/14/2011
I really wish I could give this place a better review! If they'd improve the food and get rid of the mildew smell, It'd be 4 stars or better.
For $32, the only thing edible was the steak and the starter salad, but you know what? To dine in the dark, to help employ people with a disability, to know that 5% of your dinner profits go to charity? I think its worth it.
Here's my long review:
It's very cool being in 100% darkness. Only twice did I accidentally put my hand into the food. Unlike most others, I used my fork and I did a good job clearing my plate. It was also fun was attempting to "cheer" with our wine glasses. Our server, Diana, did a great job. She asked us if we were ready for our mains and gave us extra time when we weren't. Brought us extra napkins and asked the table next to us to try to keep it down a bit. Great server.
Negatives: the lighted bar area is pleasant, but inside the restaurant you are instantly hit with the smell of mildew. But where we sat it didn't smell as strongly and I was able to ignore it.
It's very noisy inside when there's a big group. Also, some people don't turn their cellphones off (despite 3-5 requests). Please do this! It's very annoying to see someone's cellphone flashing across the room.
The food: I recommend the steak and a salad (maybe ask for "light" dressing.) I had the Octopus to start and it was so disgusting that I was going to send it back. It was the bartender's recommendation, too! My friend, who is far too polite, traded me for his surprise starter, which wasn't bad. Just some marinated roasted red peppers and cherry tomatoes, arugula and a balsamic vinigrette. For the main, I had the steak, which was really tender and nicely seasoned. It's supposed to come with potatoes and veggies. Since reviewers said they were awful, I asked for the risotto - big mistake! The risotto was so bland and completely overcooked. I got a few side veggies and they were edible. We skipped dessert, but had the pinot prigio, which was drinkable.
I think everyone should come here at least once. It's a fun and novel experience and it helps that they have a charitable angle. Maybe I'll try the one in Montreal next time! -
Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2010
Totally worth trying ONCE- and highly recommended for a date or to bring a close friend from out of town. Keep your party small though- to four people.
So y'all know this is dining in the dark but here are a few facts you may not know:
-There are four rooms and each room seats about 30 people.
-The rooms are long, and you will be seated beside a wall- don't worry, you wil at least have ONE point of reference!
-Servers are visually impaired
-cleaners/bussers wear night vision
-yes. it is completely dark. How dark? completely.
-you preorder- the surprise menu is fun/good, but by no means get it if you know EXACTLY what you want.
I ordered the Mushroom, Steak and Chocolate Cake.
Mushroom was VERY flavourful- be careful of the mouthful of cheese!
Steak was good (precut)- done perfectly (medium rare)
Cake and ice cream were delicious
had a house red wine- FULL glass
My dining partner ordered the suprise menu which consisted of:
Roasted veg salad
Mushroom chicken
chocolate mousse (he specified)
had a surprise drink (rum and rye).
Now, for the surprise menu I actually expect a challenge- I WANTED it to be super complex flavours and have fun figureing it out- but both of us got it right away. This is why it's only three stars. This is DEFINITELY a concept that you MUSt try but the food isn't good enough to actually come back.
at 39$ for 3 courses, VERY healthy portions, good food and a great unique experience DO IT.
But there really is no reason to do it more than once. -
Review from alaa h.
12/23/2010
I was visiting this from the U.S. for a friend's birthday, and it was a great experience. When other reviewers here wrote that your eyes never adjust, I was like, naah, they'd have to adjust eventually. They DON"T. You eat in complete pitch black darkness the whole time. I'd recommend ditching the silverware and just eating with your hands; eating with your hands with no sight definitely enhances the experience, because we rarely pay attention to texture.
I know other reviewers didn't especially like the food. I personally loved my (pre-cut steak) the desert was good, not pheonominal but good, and the appetizer was good.
My friend had the surprise option, but most of the items were variants of things on the menu, so she was disappointed on that. The surprise items she said weren't that special either; so you could just do one surprise item and then pick out the rest.
Definitely recommend at least once -
Review from Jason D.
Vancouver, BC
10/13/2010
In the Dark but Seeing Red.
The concept was novel for about 15 minutes. The food was like soggy cardboard and could only have come from the freezer (Michelina was comparatively high-end!). And then they had the gall to charge chef's rates. In summary, the food was terrible, the experience was mediocre, and the prices were criminal. That said, I appreciate the fact that they hire blind service staff who obviously face greater employment obstacles than others. But this place is NOT built for repeat customers - O. Noir is a gimmick which I expect will burn out as soon as enough people have been to spread the word. -
Review from Isabella L.
Toronto, ON
9/19/2010
Y'know the saying, "You eat with your eyes before you eat with your mouth."? Well, that doesn't apply here. At O'Noir, you are literally eating in pitch black DARKNESS. (Yes, I'll repeat it once more. Darkness.) Sounds crazy, eh? Well, it is. I been here two times and the experience just never seems to get old. Look at it this way. 6892 days was me eating in plain sight, while on the other hand, 2 days in complete darkness.
Their philosophy is basically if you lose one of your senses, the others are heightened. Meaning, the taste of the food will be more distinct as well as the smell of it. Although I didn't find the food to "taste" better, what I did find was that I ate faster than I normally would. Also, utensils were only used for about 2 minutes before I resorted to caveman style (Using my hands). Oh yeah, I wore a white shirt.... and came out looking like a brown cow. The cost was on the pricey side with an appetizer or dessert + main for $32 or all three for $39, but damn, the whole crazy eating in the dark fiasco definately makes it worth while. I mean c'mon WHEN on earth are you ever going to eat in complete darkness? Not to mention, WHERE in Toronto?
Answer: Just one night at O'Noir.
I tried:
2 appetizers: Grilled portabello (Flavourful) + Calamari (Underseasoned)
3 mains: Filet mignon (Juicy + Tender), Chicken breast (Underseasoned and too much tomato sauce), and Veal (I've had better). -
Review from Reezo B.
Toronto, ON
12/11/2010
Dining at 'O'Noir Toronto' was a surreal experience.
I first saw this concept on Hell's Kitchen and was excited to see we have a place like this in Toronto!
The way it works is you can check your coat in for free (tips appreciated but not required), and then sit in a small lounge (with a bar) where you're given menus. A waitress/waiter will come take your order and then take you to a door where a visually impaired waiter will take you into a dark (pitch-black) dining room to your table. You hold on to him and your friends will all hold on to each other and walk to the table.
You're waited on as per usual, and anytime you need him, you call out to him and he'll come (he's nearby). And yes, there are other people around at their own tables. It seems there were about three separate dining areas though, rather than one big one. When we got back to the lounge to pay after, some people came out of another door saying their area was quiet, while we complained about a large flamboyant group in our dining area.
It is not scary. Personally, I was very comfortable.
The food was average. There wasn't a huge selection. The calamari appetizer is NOT recommended. I had the chicken breast with scalloped potatoes, beans and grilled eggplant. The chicken breast was moist. Chocolate cake dessert was good.
It's a good one time experience, and enhanced if you're trying to be romantic. Price range $32-$40.00, plus drinks.
FYI - It's under an apartment building in a quiet residential area of downtown. Street parking is free after 9pm so that was great. I was able to park right infront the restaurant
I would recommend this for an adventurous novelty night out. -
Review from Cindy C.
Toronto, ON
8/29/2010
This was definately an interesting experience if you are looking for something different.
I get the fact that it's going for something different and the whole other senses heighten when one sense is taken away... but at the at the end of the day, restaurants should still be about food.
The diverse experience: you walk down the stairs to the actual restaurant, which looks like an old stable-esque steak house feel. Everything is dimly lit as you check in with the hosts and order from the menu. The menu is broke down into a prix-fixed selection: Appetizer (4 choices), Main (about 5), and Desert (about 4). You can either choose $32 two-course meal or $39 three-course meal. Once you are finished with your selection, you are guided into a separate room where your visually-impaired servers lead you to your table. Note, it's PITCH BLACK. Your eyes will not adjust to the darkness, it's black in there, can't see nothing, nada, zilch.
I had the GRILLED ONOIR OCTOPUS to start, which was actually quite good, but small. My dining companion had the GRILLED CALAMARI, which was also quite good. Both appetizers tasted fresh and it was over spring mix. This was my favourite part of the meal.
For the main, I tried the FILET MIGNON, which was already cut up for you and it came with veggies and potatoes. This was alright, nothing too special, nothing extrodinary.
We had the 2 course due to other plans. I ended up eating with my fingers because I couldn't see a thing. It was scary, loud and really cold in the room. It was interesting but it made me feel kind of sick by the end of the meal. Maybe it was the darkness that confused my senses? Maybe it was the over air-conditioned room (made my food cold mid-meal)?
I like the concept a lot, but it was not for me. If I could make one small suggestions, maybe serve a bigger portion, left feeling a touch hungry...
2 stars is harsh, I'd give it 2.5 stars. -
Review from TOFoodReviews n.
Toronto, ON
3/17/2011 1 photo
For those that don't know, O.Noir is that unique place where you dine entirely in the dark. Yes, it is completely pitch-black, and no, your eyes will not eventually adjust. You can't see a dam thing down there in O.Noir's dark and dingy basement dining room.
Seriously though, O.Noir is easily one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had in Toronto, not just because the food and service were awful, but also because I left the place feeling ripped off. O.Noir took a concept that could have been interesting and did absolutely nothing with it. It was nothing more than eating crappy food in a dark basement room with the lights off.
First off, the food at O.Noir is horrible. It's just glorified, hotel banquet food. You know the stuff: salad with balsamic vinaigrette, pre-cooked steam-table-held vegetables, chicken with coriander sauce. It was all of those boring old courses served at weddings and buffets in the 80s and 90s; there's nothing imaginative going on in the kitchen here. The food had absolutely no bearing on eating in an environment void of light. You'd think that if they were going to block your sense of sight, they'd want to serve food that would heighten your other senses, like food with strong aromas or flavours. Nope. Just unthoughtful, crappy food. In a way, the food was so bad that I'm glad my other senses weren't heightened by the lack of light.
I ordered the 'surprise' menu. I mean really, why wouldn't I? I'd like to at least try to see if I could use my 'enhanced' senses to not only guess but also to better appreciate whatever it was I was eating... For me, the 'surprise' was that I still don't know what the hell I ate. No one ever told me. I sort of assumed that once we were finished eating, the server would have at least told those of us that ordered the surprise what it was we ate so that we could confirm our suspicions, but nope, he just took our plates away without any explanation at all.
Speaking of our server, he was one of the worst in the biz. Not only did he not bring us anything to drink until we were finished our first course and constantly get our orders mixed up, but he was inattentive and bored; I don't blame him though, it'd be hard not to be bored down there in the dark dining pit of O.Noir. He often left us wondering where he was, not because we were in the dark, but because he often left the room or crept up behind us.
The seating arrangements leave you feeling bored and isolated too, especially if you're part of a group. In a dark environment, you'd be better off sitting at a round table so that everyone can be part of the conversation. Our seating arrangements at a long, rectangular table left those on the end of the table feeling isolated and alone.
Sitting near the entrance to the dining room sucks too. Believe it or not, the servers actually signal that they're entering the room by banging on the door. We must have heard it 40 or 50 times. In a room that is supposed to heighten your senses, this seems absolutely ridiculous. Surely there must be a better way to enter the room and make sure that no light enters. If there is, O.Noir didn't figure it out, or they didn't care. They just decided to stick with the loud banging.
Although we couldn't see anything, a quick feel confirmed that we were using those cheapo hotel-style metal chairs and wooden tables. I mean, I know we can't see anything anyways, but if our senses were supposed to be heightened, then surely our sense of touch should be a part of that. You could argue that because you're eating in the dark, the restaurant doesn't need to spend as much on the space, but I'd argue that because you're eating in the dark, the restaurant needs to spend more on the space and everything in the environment needs to be taken into consideration.
On the way out, the bartender asked us if we were staying in the attached hotel, and right then, it all made sense to me; this place was taking up the old banquet facilities of the hotel. It explains the strange layout the dining room has and the trend of hotel food and furniture. It confirmed one thing for me: if you're going to have a restaurant where your guests eat in the dark, then the space definitely needs to be built specifically for that purpose. There's little doubt that because they didn't, O.Noir sees little repeat business. People come for the novelty, but likely leave disappointed.
O.Noir offers nothing more than eating crappy banquet food in a dark basement with the lights off; absolutely nothing more than that. The pitch-black did nothing to make the experience better or heighten my senses in anyway. I was just eating crappy banquet food in the dark...Listed in: Avoid like the Plague
-
Review from Ivy Z.
Mississauga, ON
8/12/2011
This is very different place. You go there and experience the darkness. Food is okay, portion is pretty small, I think this maybe because it will be easier for people eating without seeing the food.
A place I probably won't go second time, unless a group of people are going together.
But if you haven't gone to, definitely need to find out. -
Review from Calvin C.
Toronto, ON
9/29/2009
O Noir is a "dine in the dark" restaurant experience that has just opened its doors to Torontonians after serving Montreal for over 3 years. The concept is very simple - dinner in a pitch black dining room where you remove sight from your sense with the hopes of enhancing your ability to taste.
Quick note - you arrive at the restaurant by traversing a maze of doors in staircases at the Town Inn Suites. This, although frustrating at first, helps give the restaurant a real, underground, gritty feeling which serves the overall ambience well.
Pricing is fairly reasonable at $39 for a three course or $32 for a two course. I highly recommend the surprise dishes since I felt it enhanced the experience by truly making you embrace using your smell and touch in attempts to figure out what it is you are actually eating. And it's not all about the experience - the food is actually good!
Overall, a great, highly recommended, dining experience that I believe everyone should try at least once. -
Review from Sugary G.
Toronto, ON
4/26/2011
First...
THE FOOD:
Pre-fixe pay structure:
$32 for 2 courses (main + app, or main + dessert) or
$39 for 3 courses (app + main + dessert)
-add a $6.50 glass of merlot (only option by the glass) and the total, including tax and tip = $50
i had the main+app combo.
for the app, i chose the grilled portobello mushroom with balsamic and shaved parmesan (quite passable) and for the the main, veal described as lightly battered with a lemon glaze, vegetables and roasted potatoes. everything about this entree reminded me of the 'special holiday meal' a workplace cafeteria might offer employees, come christmas or thanksgiving -- except that I'm confident that a cafeteria version would've been better. the veal had been pounded into oblivion so as to be paper-thin, yet was still rawhide-like in texture, completely void of taste, including any hint of lemon flavouring. the vegetables and potatoes were...string beans and... potatoes, doused with oil and salt (and the potatoes accompanied w/ -- I'd guess -- a 'clubhouse'-type chicken gravy)
THE EATING-IN-DARKNESS EXPERIENCE:
the initial cheaps laughs that came from being in absolute darkness (e.g. trying to connect glasses for 'cheers-ing', constant din of glassware breaking, using ones hands to locate and paw food off the plate after giving up on the fork-stabbing) wore off pretty quickly. And, sure, it gives pause as to how it would feel to be visually impaired/blind but, of course, only in a fleeting way (having the comfort of knowing sight will be yours again very soon).
Soon enough, my thoughts turned to
a) the racket they've got goin' on, since they've a captive audience (no other place offering this experience in TO) and considering the price and how sub-par the quality and quantity is (not to mention the money saved on décor and electricity), this joint's a goldmine
b) wishing someone would open up a place with the exact same concept but with decent food -- a little competition would have 'o noir' down and out within 2 weeks.
and that would make me happy -- partly because the food on offer is COMPLETELY incidental to the gimmick of eating in pitch-darkness but, mostly, because it's insulting to diners everywhere to serve cafeteria-grade slop but merchandise it under the philosophy of 'thoughtful/exotic dishes created to challenge your palate as you use your remaining 4 senses to distinguish flavours perhaps otherwise unappreciated.' Eesh.
BOTTOM LINE: save the (minimum) $50/pp this'll cost you for patronage at establishments that actually attempt to deliver what they're trying to sell(!) -
Review from Mark S.
Toronto, ON
6/16/2010
Just to reiterate what the other reviews said...
The steak was fantastic. Because you are forced to visualize what your food looks like you find that it stays with you longer.
Even though I didn't 'see' my steak, I have an extremely defined image of what I thought it looked like.
One course and you drop your utensils and start exploring the food by hand. It definitely adds to the experience.
I'm not sure if it was mentioned, but our server was visually impaired which added a level of appreciation to the experience. -
Review from Tina N.
Toronto, ON
11/14/2010
The food here is mediocre. Presentation is non existent (since you can't see, I assume they don't put much effort into it) so you have to rely solely on your sense of taste, smell and touch.
I ordered the 3 course menu, which were all 'surprises' and when receiving each of my dishes, using my hands I felt around the plates to get a feel of what I was eating. To my assumption, I started with a salad which was totally dry and lacked any form of sauce. The main dish was a chicken entrée that came out luke-warm, didn't taste very fresh and over cooked. As for the dessert, it was a chocolate mousse - good but very very sweet. During the experience, there were huge gaps between courses where we were neglected from our server. From start to finish, with a group of 3, it took us 2hrs to finish up. Things are generally slower when you eat in pitch black apparently
Overall, O.noir is an experience like no other. I would recommend trying O.Noir, not for the food, but for the experience. I would definitely not go back for a casual dining. -
Review from Brian G.
Surrey, BC
3/27/2010
Very cool experience. Who knew eating in
the dark would be so difficult and fun. -
Review from Rob D.
4/22/2010 ROTD 8/18/2010
OK ... let's get to the jist of this review ... people were absolutely up to some freaky-deaky shinanigans in that pitch black restaurant. Ha ha ha ... good stuff.
I actually asked the bartender before going in if they had night cameras or if any of the wait staff had vision with night vision goggles and she said no. in fact, she told us that initially at the Montreal location they had cameras and upon reviewing the tapes they were shocked at what they saw (i.e. people going to town), removed the cameras and decided they didn't need them. I'm still not sure if i believe them ... but it did seem like a bit of an invitation. Oh the Montrealers. Such a passionate bunch ;)
Now, onto the experience and the food ....
when they say pitch darkness, they mean it. your eyes don't adjust over time, nothing ... blackness. it was a little odd at first, but remaining calm and taking in the whole experience and you actually get into it. it was thoroughly enjoyable.
i had the pepper filet (which WAS already cut ... which was the only possible reason you would consider not ordering this dish being unsure about the complications of chopping up your steak), along with a glass of merlot ... and the taste sensations, which of course were heightened, was devine.
the octopus and calamari apps were interesting ... the salad that came with them was the hardest to eat for sure. again tho, already cut up chunks, so all cool in the gang there.
dessert - i went for the 'surprise' which turned out to be some sort of chocolate mousse ... yummy :).
this is kinda like skydiving ... it isn't something you really need to do more than once, unless you've got a screw loose ... but everyone should experience this at least once. maybe twice if there were a few things you wanted to do and missed on that first visit! ha...
At $39 3 course meal, it really isn't too expensive. The experience is worth it alone.
Go blind already. Go.
