Dans le Noir ? Madrid - Cena a oscuras — Restaurant in Madrid

Dans Le Noir ? in Madrid is one of those experiences that stays with you. It’s part of a chain that started in Paris and now has locations in several countries—all based on the idea of dining completely in the dark, guided by visually impaired staff.

We went to the one near Plaza del Biombo, where you choose how many courses you want, but not what you’re eating—everything is a surprise. We chose a degustation menu with drink pairings which was delicious.

Our waiter, Sam, was charming, funny, and made us feel totally at ease from the start. He guided us into the pitch black room and somehow managed to serve food and wine smoothly without ever bumping into anything. And he kept us laughing all the way through. A total legend who has been working at this branch since its start.

What stood out most was the feeling of being on a mini adventure. Not seeing anything sharpens everything else—flavors, textures, even the way you talk to the people around you. And because it’s Spain, it didn’t feel isolating in the dark. We could hear conversations from nearby tables, chatted with the group next to us, and the whole place had this warm, buzzing energy despite being in total darkness.

It’s not a traditional night out, and that’s the point. The whole thing pushes you out of your routine in the...

There are two ways you can approach this experience, it seems. One: you’re quiet, curious, contemplative, almost meditative. You try your best to see if it’s true that you feel, smell, hear and taste more.

Two: you’re expressive, talkative, trying to figure out the size of the space, every single ingredient, etc.

Unfortunately, for me it was hard to combine a bit of the two as many people default to nervous chatter, and at a table of 6+, conversations overlapped.

If you’re an extrovert, it’s great to chat to others. If you’re looking for a private conversation/experience, may not be the best option.

That said, the staff are lovely. The experience was also beautiful! My last comment is, I wouldn’t go there expecting to leave full. If you want to support this business, experience something new and have a communal experience, it’s ideal! Keep in mind however, that you could have superior eating/dining experiences at a similar even lower price point.

Was lovely to try! Great initiative too! Appreciate their adaptive approach to...

What a fantastic and unusual experience! We were hosted in a very lovely space by the manager Sixtine that explained how the evening would go, which was very helpful and reassuring. We then met our guide for the experience, Andrea who was absolutely brilliant. She guided us to a pitch dark room with another group of 4, quite fun to share a table with other guests! I personally had the 4-course menu with wine pairing and my friend had non-alcoholic cocktails. Both food & drinks were delicious and we had an amazing time using our other senses to guess what we were having. At the end of the experience you are taken back to the light to discover what you had and... what a surprise! Overall it was such a surreal experience that was made even more beautiful with the lovely staff, thank you so much! I highly recommend and I will definitely be back. PS: They do adapt very well to different languages so do not make this an obstacle...