Dans le Noir ? Auckland - Dining in the dark — Restaurant in Waitematā

It's decent, good to try once but I would not go back. The main issues are the price, long dining time, and lack of service. The food is slightly above average, not exceptional. Of course, you are paying for the experience, but honestly you can do this at home. Just have a good cook you know cook for you and turn out all the lights. Much cheaper. A 2-3 course meal will take 2 hrs, which is a terrible use of time if you are a tourist. I chose the 2 course, but was forced to sit through 3 courses since they stagger people into meal time groups. First course was a salad and second course was sort of a lamb stew, that for $80. Portions were ok. They don't give you much instruction. You have utensils, a water carafe, and a glass in front of you. Figure it out yourself. Pour you own water and figure out how to eat. If you need service, good luck. There's only 2 servers for the entire room of a lot of diners. It is literally pitch dark in there. It's nice you dine at a communal table and talk to strangers. They go over your menu afterwards. Located on the 2nd floor of a hotel. Overall, it's an overpriced, long experience with minimal service. Try once or don't try at all,...

Such a unique and enjoyable experience for someone who loves food! As a Top Chef and Top Chef France fan I've always been curious about how I'd fare tasting and identifying food in complete darkness. There was so much more to this experience than the taste challenge though.

It was a truly lovely social experience (I went alone and talked in the dark with the dining companions nearest to me) and it was really fascinating how your perception changes when you have no visual reference points. It was oddly cosy, for being in a dimensionless place. The touch and sound of others feels comforting and needed when one is otherwise so lost in space.

The staff was so well-trained, it's a well-run operation!

Highly recommend to food-lovers and novelty-seekers, and to people who like other people. We did eat with our hands a fair amount, by choice, to distinguish what we were eating; so if that sounds unpleasant to you this might not be the best choice.

Apparently they change menus each season and have particular special events, so I...

Our experience at Dans Le Noir started with our server, Chayse, greeting us at the door and leading us into the dark clutches of the pitch black restaurant. It was overwhelming, I was convinced that I’d start hallucinating, but lucky for me, our entree wasn’t far away. Staving off the pangs of hunger, I managed to find my spoon and get that beautiful meal into my mouth… and in my lap… and across the table. Soup in the dark is not for the faint hearted. After that was the main course, where our table tried our hardest to figure out what each succulent mouthful was made up of. Less issues with spilling this course because I had find the perfect solution, getting my hands dirty and literally using my fingers to make sure my spoon was packed up safely and securely. Go me! Even dessert was spot free. The service was great, the food was stellar, the only thing I would improve on is restocking the napkins after I used...