Standing outside O.Noir, first-time diners may be seized with trepidation. Dark, heavy curtains obscure the window, a small and yet striking black sign hangs outside the doorway. This is a restaurant Montrealers will pass countless times on St. Catherine St. without a second glance. O.Noir is not, however, the kind of restaurant you pass blindly once you’ve had the pleasure of visiting. Blindness is what happens inside.
The concept – a restaurant simulating the experience of blindness in a blackened dining room – has already begun to catch fire in Europe and the United States. O.Noir is the first establishment of its kind in Canada. Five per cent of proceeds go to local associations supporting the blind and visually impaired, and servers themselves are 50 to 90% visually impaired.
And yes, the dining room really is pitch black.
Upon entering, uncertain guests half-expect to stumble into a flood of darkness. Instead, visitors find a dimly lit entry hall, sleekly decorated in black and white. A large mirror extends along the entire the wall opposite the bar. A poster of Al Pacino’s Scent of a Woman lies framed on the wall. Jazz classics play in the background—Nina Simone softly croons Feelin’ Good as nervous groups gather around the bar. The demographic is decidedly young. It appears only adventurous twenty-somethings will venture to try the incredibly sensory experience of O.Noir, at least on this particular Monday evening.
The hostess takes orders in the vestibule and shows guests to lockers where they place personal belongings. Cell phones are prohibited in the dining room. The food is moderately priced—$30 covers the main dish and dessert, $37 covers an additional appetizer. The menu is not expansive, nor elaborate. No soup is offered. This particular reviewer declines the surprise dish and opts for the familiar: chicken breast with aubergine, tomato, and mozzarella, and a dessert of rich Viennese chocolate cake and ice cream. Upon ordering, a group of young guests emerges from behind a black curtain at the end of the hall, escorted by a server in dark glasses. They groan in chorus as the respective brightness of the room hits them, lifting their arms against the light and blinking furiously. New guests in the entryway watch in fascination and shift nervously as they wait to be led in.
Our server, Mathieu, appears and leads our group of six into the dining room. “Form a line behind me,” he instructs, “and place your hand on the left shoulder of the person in front of you.” Thus we enter into blackness deeper than imaginable. I test my hand in front of my face. An inch before me, it is completely indiscernible. Mathieu leads us effortlessly to our tables, where he guides us to our individual seats and explains the table and cutlery arrangement. We each paw blindly at the table before us, locating fork, knife, and spoon.
After what seems a long time, perhaps lengthened by a complete lack of visual stimulation, our food arrives.
The chicken, which struck me as basic and comforting in the entryway, is succulent and suddenly fascinating. My fork bangs repeatedly against the plate as I seek it out. A sample of another’s filet mignon (mercifully pre-cut) proves just as satisfying. O.Noir is not just a one-shtick restaurant; the food is decidedly good. Dessert, though just as good, proves more difficult to eat, and I shamelessly trace my fingers around my plate to find any remnants of ice cream. By now, having adjusted to the environment, the typical restaurant bustle and noise becomes more salient. Thankfully, it is a small locale, and seats only 50. As we finish our meal and are led out, it is our turn to blink and groan at the light.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that O.Noir was suggested by friends visiting from Toronto. It is the kind of restaurant one visits only once, and thus well-suited to tourists. That said, the experience will not disappoint, and native Montrealers are well-advised to seek it out. For the adventurer at heart, it is truly food for the soul.
O.Noir Restaurant, 1631 Ste. Catherine West, 514-937-9727, www.onoir.com.
Reservations highly recommended.
