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Eating dinner with a blindfold on? This new restaurant dining option will shock your senses

Pro-tip: Wear a bib. It might get messy.

ARLINGTON, Va. — It wasn't unusual to hear silverware clang to the floor or a glass shatter during my recent four-course meal at Ambar Clarendon in Arlington. After all, the 30 or so patrons eating alongside me were all wearing blindfolds.

On my first attempt to sample the first course, a morsel slipped right off my utensil and onto the table -- leaving me the dissatisfaction of tasting a big fat bite of air as I chomped down on an empty fork.  

Undeterred, I summoned the energy to take a second stab at the deliciousness that lay before me. My senses of touch, hearing and feel were all elevated as I started to become more at ease with the darkness that had consumed my eyes. So what if I had taken a bite of an empty fork? No one had seen it happen!

'Dining in the Dark' is a unique, blindfolded dining experience available in Arlington for a limited time. On Tuesdays, Ambar reserves a portion of its dining space for the experience and the staff hosts two separate 90-minute dining sessions that are available by reservation only.

The 'Dining in the Dark' experience is a collaboration between Ambar Clarendon and Fever. Fever is a global live-entertainment discovery platform, helping people discover the best experiences in their cities, with a mission to democratize access to culture and entertainment in real life. 

"Fever inspires users to enjoy unique local experiences and events, from immersive exhibitions, interactive theatrical experiences, festivals, to molecular cocktail pop-ups, while empowering creators with data and technology to create and expand experiences across the world," said a spokesperson in an email.

"You don't know what you're going to be eating."  

Here's a sample menu for 'Dining in the Dark' listed on the Fever website.

Vegetarian

  • Starter: Rich, buttery flavors married together in a crisp and tangy treat
  • Entrée: Creamy and tart meet on your plate and leave you wanting more
  • Main: Vegetables in the aftermath of a blaze, met by rich flavors of the land
  • Dessert: Flavors you know and love presented in a refreshing, silky texture

Seafood

  • Starter: Earthy and creamy textures to make your mind spin
  • Entrée: A taste of the sea married with the land; taking the plunge together to unite spice and earthy flavors
  • Main: A tender serving from the oceans coupled with a side of gifts from the land
  • Dessert: An indulgent combination of rich flavors

Meat

  • Starter: Powerful flavors united together in a spicy East European surprise
  • Entrée: A hearty and filling dish accompanied by sensations of spice
  • Main: A meaty fusion of flavors that will melt you with its richness
  • Dessert: Sweet and sticky layers followed by a surprising earthy crunch

"When we take away a sense like our sight we start to experience our taste buds more. We start to think about the kitchen around us and the environment we're in with our ears," said Ryan Berry who was coordinating the event. "We get to experience food in a new and unique way. We do it with new and unique cuisine like this Balkan menu we have tonight." 

You can learn more about Dining in the Dark HERE.

Tickets and additional details are available HERE.

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