O.Noir - (Near Montréal, QC)

5 /5 Magalie Frappier: It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The service is excellent, and the staff ensure that everything is clearly explained throughout the evening. The experience is immersive and truly unique. The food was good, though relatively simple depending on the dishes selected or served. If you are looking for a place to have an in-depth conversation, this may not be the right setting, as the environment is designed to fully engage your senses.

5 /5 Pistachio: This was an amazing experience! Firstly our server, Mizen, was the best. I can’t imagine serving food and drinks in the complete darkness. Initially I was a little apprehensive walking into the blackness, but it was actually pretty cool. The room was quite quiet, just other patrons who were quietly speaking to each other, and some light music. Food was delicious. I had the scallops appetizer and a steak. Not gonna lie, I ended up eating with my fingers. I made a valiant effort to use a knife and fork but just couldn’t make it work. This is a very unique experience and I highly recommend it. Thank you Mizen!

5 /5 Paul Marchand: What an incredible and unique experience! From the moment we walked in we were treated with exceptional service. From the hosts in the lounge to our amazing server, Dominic, the place knows how to make customers feel valued. The food was fantastic! Pick some surprise course, it adds a fun element and you wont be disappointed. Dining in complete darkness was surreal and a challenge, but it was such a fun experience. It also makes you feel so much empathy for those that are visually impaired. No pictures to add, but definitely check this place out.

3 /5 Lise Ann Pfeffer: I had mixed feelings about my experience at O.Noir. The service at the beginning was excellent, and the concept itself is very unique and interesting. Dining in complete darkness is truly an experience. However, once seated, the atmosphere changed significantly due to very large groups being extremely loud. There was yelling, constant laughter, and disruptive behavior, to the point where other guests were asking them to be quiet. One woman even took out her phone repeatedly to take pictures of her food, which completely broke the immersion. I understand that when someone loses their sight, they may naturally compensate by speaking louder, but I strongly feel that guests should be reminded to keep their voices at a reasonable level. I also think limiting table sizes to no more than four people would greatly improve the experience—large groups really take away from the calm and immersive atmosphere. The noise became so overwhelming that we rushed through our meal just to leave, and I ended up with a migraine. As for the food, it was mediocre overall. While it is impressive that the chefs are visually impaired, the execution could be improved. I ordered the beef (sirloin/flank), and it was very difficult to cut and chew in the dark. The pieces were too large, which made eating uncomfortable and even nauseating. I would recommend doing the two-course option instead of the four-course meal. There is about a 30-minute wait between each course, which makes it a very long time to remain in complete darkness—especially when paired with excessive noise. The concept is excellent, but the overall experience could be significantly improved with better crowd control, smaller group sizes, and clearer expectations for guest behavior.

2 /5 ThePolyvalentPianist: First time Ive been scammed in a restaurant! I had a gift certificate (from la Forfaiterie) for 2 persons : 4 services and 1 cup of wine each. They told us that they didnt do 4 services anymore (which doesnt fit with the info on their website, but whatever) so instead they told us that we could have the equivalent of what has been paid for the gift certificate : 180$. Thing is, its not even enough for the equivalent, but with 3 services! I raised the fact that it didnt cover the taxes and the tips, but for them it was normal and they wouldnt budge. In the end, I had to pay an additional 45$ for a lesser experience than what we were supposed to have. About the experience, a few things - The food was mediocre at best. Not the worse, but clearly not enough for the price point (and thats including the "no lights" settings into consideration). - The temperature in the room was... weird. Initially it was fine, but near the end of our meal it started to get really REALLY cold. We rushed our dessert to get out ASAP. - The noise level can get pretty intense. When we arrived (around 18h30) the noise level was okay, but about an hour later it got pretty loud. While its not necessarily the restaurants fault, it did impact our overall experience. - The overall experience of eating in a pitch black setting is quite interesting! In the end, while theres some value to the overall experience, it really doesnt justify the price point (>100$ per person). Then, theres our experience with the gift certificate that has been handled poorly.