They say love is blind. I decided to put this to the test. I convinced a Tinder match to go on a first date to Dans le Noir, an Islington restaurant where guests “dine in the dark”.
I met my date – we’ll call him Tinder Boy – at the tube station. He looked like he did in the photos, tall and dark-haired. But this didn’t matter, really. I wasn’t going to spend any time looking at him.
We entered the restaurant through a door with blackened windows. After opting for the “surprise menu”, we were swiftly ushered into the hands of a blind waiter. One hand each on the waiter’s shoulders, he led us into darkness. In a bizarre reversal of roles, the guided became the guide.
Sounds of chatter rang out, but I could see only blackness. Submerged in my own confused senses, I forgot about Tinder Boy altogether. Darkness wiped out the typical dating concerns. I didn’t have to worry about having food stuck in my teeth or any awkward eye contact.
I could do anything – gnaw at my nails, pick my nose – and Tinder Boy would be none the wiser. Table manners went out of the window. After stabbing myself in the cheek with my fork, I ditched the cutlery and out came the hands.
With no one watching me, I realised I was drinking my wine faster than usual. The resulting tipsiness made everything even more surreal. I kept cracking up at the sheer weirdness of the situation as we guessed what meat we were eating. “Beef? Crocodile?” It turns out it was kangaroo.
At one point Tinder Boy touched my hand. Knowing it was covered in sauce, I quickly pulled it away. It wasn’t exactly romantic.
The menu at Dans le Noir
By the time dessert was served we’d had hardly any meaningful conversation. Every time we started discussing something interesting it was quickly halted by questions about the food.
After a messy mixture of cake and jelly, our waiter led us through the dark towards the exit as I furiously wiped the sauce from around my mouth.
Coming into the light was strange sensation. Bleary-eyed and confused, I remembered this was a date.
Tinder Boy and I walked back to the tube laughing about the ordeal. We were still unable to see much under the dim lampposts, which was probably for the better considering the food down my top.
On parting ways we decided we’d meet again– next time, with the benefit of sight.
Main picture: Dans le Noir
I see you don’t monetize your site, there is one cool method to earn extra money,
it will work with your blog perfectly, just search in google for:
tips and tricks by Fejlando