Dark Table

I’m lousy at surprises but I did it this time! It was my husband’s birthday and he didn’t know where he was and what was going on. Nervousness enveloped him as we ordered outside the restaurant and I told him to turn off his cell. When we finally settled into our table our server, Dustin, did his utmost to put us at ease and began our 3 course meal. We had the beef tenderloin and the veal schnitzel, both cooked to our liking. The appetizer and dessert were surprise courses and it was really fun trying to guess what was in the dishes.
Truly one of the best experiences we’ve had in a long time. Who needs dinner and a show when dinner is the show and you must close your eyes to ‘see’ it?

I love surprises and this place is full of surprises. A surprise starter and a surprise dessert. You can choose your main dish. I went with my newly met cool friend. As soon as we were in, we couldn’t stop laughing, in complete darkness we were able to play choo choo train holding shoulders of our server Albert, who guided us to get to our table, absolutely dark table. Finding a table and settle down made me feel as if I’ve conquered something. Yayyy. We’ve ordered two items: main dish and surprise dessert. Stuffed chicken for me and prawn risotto for my friend, both= awesome. Our server, Albert, (you’d be lucky if you get him to serve you) is funny, friendly and prompt if you need any help. He knows you by your voice and directs you quite well where to find your food on the table. Our drinks came in 5 minutes and food in less than 10. We ordered outside where we were warmly received and got menu, ordered before we get into the darkness and it wasn’t tough to decide ’cause there’re 4 main items to choose from, make life easier.
We didn’t mess much, only ⁴⁄₅ times each of us tried forks without food and yes you might end up painting your chin with sauce but hey you forgot how it feels since last time when you painted your chin with food was when you were 2 yrs old amateur eater. We made sure we eat everything that’s on the plate, then requested Albert if he could get a photo of our empty plates when taken away to the kitchen cause you are not allowed to use phone as it would ruin the entire experience of being in the dark.
Then came the surprise dessert. I don’t want to ruin your surprise, all I can say is, we both loved our dessert. Perfect sweetness, flavour and quantity.
We followed Albert, our server, to get to the tent like room to pay the bill, then he guided us to exit to the light.
I appreciate their effort, out of the box idea even more when I found out most servers working there, are either blind or not having great vision. I recommend this place to those who likes surprises and likes to eat good food.

I tried Dark Table because I bought a groupon. It was a fantastic deal. A 3 course meal for 2 people for $ 54 CDN. Went there for a birthday. I purchased two coupons for 2. I thought the price was $ 54 per person so I was pleasantly surprised that I only had to redeem one coupon. I guess the price was reasonable because they don’t have to pay for electricity (HAHA). We started with Kale salad. That was delicious. I ordered the prawns and risotto. That was equally delicious. I have no idea what was in it but it was good. The dessert was a surprise — raspberry cheesecake. I was too full to eat it.
I found myself using my fingers to feel the food because my fork kept missing my food and I couldn’t quite figure out whether my plate was finished or not. So I had to feel around my plate to ensure I didn’t leave any prawns. I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of dinner and that was quite the journey.
All in all, it was a really fun experience and I certainly have more empathy for blind people.

The experience itself and the concept was interesting but let me tell you that the food was horrible. Also everybody felt it was freightening. There is no music and you do feel vulnerable. Our server though she was amazing. I can even say that she was the best server I’ve ever had. Her name is Rose if you do wanna try this place maybe ask for her?
Summary
Blind Experience: ³⁄₅ (exciting because its a new experience and it is alao freightening)
Service: ⁶⁄₅
Food quality: −1÷5 (I had the stuffed chicken)
Price: ²⁄₅ (I am happy to pay for an amazing service but dark table does not worth the money for sure)

I have been to another restaurant with this theme before in Switzerland and let me tell you, after tonight, I see how spoiled I was by that experience.
What this restaurant had was a great concept. What it failed to deliver was equally great service, food and ambiance.
To summate, the food reminded me of the type of meal you would get at a dinner theatre, or a wedding back in the 90’s. In my previous experience, it was very much a culinary adventure. Beef carpaccio with a grapefruit glaze, roast bream with sepia risotto, etc. Here, it was a pasta salad, chicken with roasted carrots and potatoes, and a tiramisu that tasted like it was bought from the Costco freezer aisle.
All things I could make at home, or buy at the Costco. What was worse it that I didn’t even get the right order. Granted, I ordered a surprise meal so technically, it was a surprise. However, my friend specifically requested the chicken because she does not like surprises. Since it is in the dark you do not see what you get and I was halfway through my «surprise meal» when we realized it was hers I was eating. This explained why her own tasted so peculiar and spicy which she does not like. To make up for this mistake our server gave us a glass of wine to SPLIT. That’s right, half a glass each.
I don’t like long reviews so I will wrap this up. My whisky cocktail tasted like watered down syrup with a little carbonation and it was so loud in there you could not hear your companion. The last place I went to had the tables far apart it was both a sensory deprivation for the eyes and ears.
Lastly, at the end of it all, my sister never even found out what the surprise meal was, it was never offered to us to know.
I would not go here again. But I would try this experience again somewhere else.

I’ve heard about this restaurants from friends and I always wanted to try it. It was very interesting indeed to eat here. My husband and I did the 3 course & 2 pop. I just want to let you know, they’re not refillable so you have to pay the full price if you want the 2^nd drink.
I made a reservation for two and outside, in front of the restaurant we talked to the receptionist (?) and we were given menu. There are benches for us to sit with lights but it was outside, it was pretty cold to wait there and I didn’t like that part. We told the receptionist our order and waited. But it didn’t take long for us to get inside, so it’s good.
I won’t write how things went inside of the restaurant because I don’t want to spoil it, but what I can say is that our server was very nice. I ordered schnitzel and my husband ordered surprise dish. Surprise dish wasn’t randomly selected dish from the menu. It was a completely random dish. This time he got chicken.
My food was okay, I think it could be better. His chicken was great though!
We tip okay usually but we tipped the most in our life time when we came here because she was the most helpful server EVER! I mean, we literally couldn’t do anything without her help, so it makes sense lol
I am definitely telling this good experience to my friends and our families. I think I will come back again for different food next time.

It was quite an experience. I went there with a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago.
Our waiter was super funny and very helpful. You definitely need some guidance in a place you can’t see a thing.
The food was very good, I have no clue why so much people complain about it. We had a starter salad with a tasty dressing, I ordered some ravioli with jalapeño sauce and we had raspberry cheesecake.
I had to push some food into my fork more than once and it was kind of funny and also a big opportunity to think about how fortunate you are to have sense of sight and in some cases coordination too. At least for me LOL.
I have absolutely no complaints. Great place, great people, fair price for the experience.
Awesome, you have to do it at least once.

The good–
The experience was amazing and our waitress was awesome. She made getting in and out and navigating the whole thing a breeze. it was a really interesting dinner trying to find your next bite. or is there a next bite? And evesdropping is top notch!
The bad–
Food could be way better. It was alright… but it reminds me of what family places served in the 90’s. Tomato boccaccini salad. tenderloin with three peppercorn sause. frozen cheesecake.
All in all a great experience but to be frank it seems a bit heavily weighted on the experience. and the food could be easily improved from where it is.

The experience of dinning in total darkness is unique. And now we can say we’ve tried it. The waiters are nice too.
However the food was mediocre, to say the least. My husband has the schnitzel, it was cold and not tasty at all. I had the chicken and it was the only decent plate we had, however they only served me 3 tiny slices of it. Not sure if part of it fell on the way to our table. The cheesecake tasted like it was from Costco.
We weren’t impressed with the food but we enjoyed sharing the experience.
If you want amazing food this is not the place. If you jut want to try out what this is all about then it’s ok.

Cool experience, okay food
I was very excited when I purchased my groupon for the dark table. The whole experience was really cool. You wait outside and order first, when your table is ready, your server comes out and literally leads you to your table by having you stand in a single file and put hands on the person in front of you’d shoulders. Food there is not that that impressive. It’s like a suburban cactus club food. However I would recommend it for people who are looking for a new dining experience!

Apart from the unique experience that makes me appreciate my sight, and my ableist privilege, the experience was infuriating, tasteless, horrible and a total ripoff.
First, the line up and wait out in the cold was truly annoying and made me quickly realize we were all going in a mass seating, so there was no way food would be prepared a La minute or fresh. To get food to that many diners seated would require lots of premade food and tadah, it all tasted like last weeks leftovers.
First the «surprise starter» a mushy little salad composed of unripe crunchy sliced Roma tomatoes, thick slices of raw red onion, a bucket of olive oil and some thin slices of bocconcini. Awful. Just like a salad brought home from a work party two days later, and completely lacking in seasoning.
Next the mains, my partner ordered the Viennese shnitzel, which was basically a deep fried, massively breaded panko crusted blob of meat. You couldn’t tell it was veal, chicken, or pork just a meat nub, oily and overbreaded and dry. No sauce at all or even a lemon wedge included. The moaning was audible and it was very cold inside as well.
My main was equally awful. Ordered the beef tenderloin rare with peppercorn sauce and what I got was a slump of extremely chewy gristly tasteless beef wedges. If that was tenderloin then I want to know where they got it… most groceries chains do better. The sauce was lacking peppercorn or even a gravy taste and just tasted like hot buttered cornstarch.
By far the worst thing though were the vegetables on both our plates consisting of roasted carrots, beets, and onion wedges. They tasted old and mouldy and after biting into them accidentally while trying to eat our meats, they made everything else taste like garbage.
The dessert was a surprise all right, a store bought previously frozen slice of crappy cheesecake with a fake box version of raspberry coulis on top. Awful.
The most laughable thing was that while we were paying the lady told us about their sister restaurant called «Defined» a Mediterranean kitchen where the staff is made up of deaf people, and you must learn to sign your order. If we brought our receipt we could get 15% off. Sounds like they are really milking the angle. I asked if the food was as good there as it was at Dark table and she assured me it was… well I guess I’ll never be going there!
Way to profit off the disabled. Make it kitchy and hip and make it experiential and pack as many bodies in as you can. F#%k this.

WOW. What an experience!!!
The boyfriend and I decided this would make an awesome date night while staying in Vancouver. We saw this deal on groupon for C$ 54, ~$ 41 USD for two people and use on any day of the week except Saturdays. It was a three course meal including an appetizer, main dish and dessert.
I actually thought we were going to be blindfolded and was afraid my eyelash extensions would be ruined so I brought some goggles to protect them. I probably should have read up on the experience because I learned that the whole room is COMPLETELY DARK. Not one peep of light! I recommend you wearing dark clothes or clothes you don’t care about just in case you spill or drop food all over you. I wore white because I don’t think about things like this. Fashion before comfort. At any cost! I was very careful but also very anxious about ruining my new white and blue skirt, but luckily I didn’t get anything on myself!
A menu is presented prior to entering the restaurant in which you choose your main dish. I ordered the prawns with risotto and he had the chicken with potatoes. The appetizer is a surprise as is the dessert.
Rose was our server and she was awesome. It’s amazing how much you can communicate without seeing. I don’t want to give away any of the experience because I don’t want to take away from yours, but my boyfriend and I learned that we had good communication skills and had developed a way to share out food and drinks without feeding each others eyes and ears.
At a place like this, you almost expect the experience to outweigh the taste of the food, but I thought both were equally amazing.
*Appetizer*
The appetizer was yummy and light. The end. No spoilers here!
*Main Dish*
The prawns and garlic risotto were delicious. The prawns and flavorful and the risotto was cooked perfectly. I ate everything on my plate. That must mean it’s good coming from a girl who counts calories and is always on a diet. The boyfriend thought it was difficult to cut his chicken himself (boo hoo, now we know what it’s like to have a handicap!) but said it was seasoned well and moist. I thought it was tasty too. The potatoes were undercooked and over-​seasoned.
*Dessert*
For the dessert, I recommended someone saying they have a peanut allergy (as recommended by Rose) to have a different dessert if you are sharing with someone else. It’s nice to taste different flavors, especially when you get to guess what you are eating.
We were very lucky that we had some fun neighbors sitting next to us as it just added to the experience. It’s amazing how your other senses are amplified. In my experience, my sense of hearing was definitely amplified and I learned how much seeing was linked to my enjoyment of food. Many times I could sense a familiarity in taste to what I was eating but couldn’t necessarily identify what exactly I was eating.
This is definitely a worthwhile and unique experience. It made a great date. It also makes you better aware of the difficulties others may have with their handicaps.

All three of us had an amazing experience and were pleased with both the food and our new insights into what it’s like to be visually impaired.
Once we arrived, we were given menus outside on the patio and asked to sit down to wait for our guide/​server. Both me and my friend ordered from the 3 course menu, where the appetizer and desserts are both surprises. For the main course, I ordered the prawns and my friend ordered the ravioli. My dad also ordered the prawns but chose to forgo dessert.
The 3 course meal is typically $ 39 and the 2 course is $ 33. However, I had purchased a Groupon for 2 prior to this, which was $ 54 in total for 2 3-​course meals (not including tax and tip).
All three of us also ordered drinks, I ordered the mojito ($ 9), which was good but not amazing. It tasted a little diluted, but I know the bar was really busy so there’s a chance it might’ve been sitting out. My dad also ordered the mojito and my friend ordered a virgin ceasar which was also quite good.
Our server, Rose, was amazing. She was so friendly and funny and tried to make our experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible. She also tried to cater to our dietary needs, which in this case were that both me and friend were pescatarians. Rose came out to guide us into Dark Table (thank god since there’s no way we would have made it to our table without her). This was such an interesting experience, there were 2 sets of double doors to ensure no light would come through into the restaurant. We were seated and found that we really couldn’t see anything. It was completely pitch black, and at first, it was a little unsettling since it was a completely unique experience. I noticed that after a while, your other senses were also heightened, and I could distinctly hear the conversations of the tables next to us.
The first course was a kale salad, this was so yummy! It had kale, cheese, raisins?, roasted vegetables and some other ingredients. It was super flavorful and probably one of the best kale salads I’ve had so far.
The entrée was also quite good, although I think my risotto was a little burnt. Otherwise, the prawns were fresh and I liked the grilled root vegetables. It was a fairly large portion and I had quite a bit of risotto left over after dinner. My friend’s ravioli was amazing! So delicious and cheesy, I really think this dish stole the show. We could hear the table next to us also ooh and aah-​ing over the meal.
The dessert was raspberry cheesecake, which we identified immediately. This was really really good! Not too sweet, and a good sized portion for each person. We enjoyed the dessert immensely.
When the final bill came for my dad’s food, the drinks, tax and tip, it came out to about $ 80, so about $ 130 for the whole night. Overall, I would say it was worth it and I would definitely take friends here in the future!

I really really enjoyed the theme and experience you get out of this place!
I went with my mom, we booked a reservation for two on a weekday night. This place fills up fast so definitely make a reservation. We didn’t get a groupon, but I hear that you can. I think it might be for four people, not too sure. Anyways, they provide you with the menus outside so you can see what there is to order and you place your order before you go in.
We both chose to just get the prawn risotto and surprise dessert. We find getting the appetizer beforehand is a bit too much for us. We then met our server who guided us to our table. All of the servers are blind or visually impaired. It’s amazing how they navigate their way through the restaurant.
To drink, mom ordered wine and I ordered a lychee mojito which was amazing! We were then served bread, and it’s amazing how difficult it is to butter bread in the dark. Especially since you can’t tell if it’s completely buttered or not.
This place is pitch black except for the bathroom which has a red light. You know when you enter a dark room and you eventually adjust to the darkness? Well, you don’t ever adjust to the darkness here. Our risotto was served and it was excellent! It’s interesting how you think you have food on your fork and go to take a bite and find out there is nothing on it. So I had to feel how heavy my fork was to make sure there was actually something on it.
I used my fingers a bit for sure just to make sure I got everything. Dessert was a slice of chocolate coffee cake which was devine. I remember feeling the table and noticing how long it was in front of us. Well turns out tables are shared as we had another couple in front of us. We ended up chatting for a bit and it was nice. No idea what they looked like but I guess that’s the point — focus on who people are vs what they look like etc.
It was a memorable experience, and a really cool concept. I wouldn’t come back because I feel like once you’ve had this experience it’s not the same when you come back. I feel like if I came back, it would have to be with someone who has never been; that way, I can gauge their reaction and see what they think. Definitely do recommend coming at least once to anyone.

A unique experience that uplifts your other senses in dining. We were first seat outside with a menu. The appetizer and dessert was surprise of the day, but there were a few selections for the main. To make it more exciting, I had surprise of the day for the main as well with an additional comment that it wouldn’t be fish. My friend ordered the Shrimp with citrus risotto.
After taking our orders, we were quickly lead into a dark room by our server. He gave us a brief introduction of the concept and what needs to be done when we enter. We go in a single file and if we were to make a turn, he would let us know or if a door needs to be opened he would say «I’m opening a door».
When we entered the dining room, it was pitch dark. I was never in such a dark room before. You literally could not see a thing. When we reached our table, he told us that we would be sitting side by side instead of across from each other and took our hands so that we can feel the chair and the table.
He left us for a while and come back with our drinks and soon later we were served our appetizers. It was not a strange as I thought it would be; sitting in the dark, chatting and trying to eat. When our appetizers came, we fished for our cutlery which was fairly easy to find.
It was so much fun trying to figure out each ingredient in our dish, especially since it’s a surprise dish you wouldn’t know what’s in it. I first felt it with my hands… (I know, I cheated). I immediately knew it was salad but as I ate every ingredient, I realized it made me use my other senses and relate back to the food I ate before. I guessed it was a kale & quinoa salad with squash and zucchini. A lot more people came in while we finished our appetizers and there was a couple that sat across from us. It was a bit awkward at first as we hearing senses were enhanced since we were lacking visibility. We typically overhead their entire conversation and it was hard not to listen in.
Our plates were taken and our mains were served. Surprise number 2. I didn’t know what to expect for a main. There are so many options that it could be. This time I bravely used my fork to poke at whatever was on my plate. I tasted some bolognese sauce and some sort of pasta. I couldn’t differentiate whether it was cannelloni or ravioli. Again, I used my hands to feel what else was on the plate. I basically ate my dish with my left hand and a fork in the other. The protein on my plate was a veal schnitzel, I believe. There were some seasonal vegetables as well. My friend had it easier as she already knew what was being served. She did not have to use her hands at all. She was even able to share one of her prawns with me.
The dessert took a bit longer than the previous two courses. We had cheesecake. Very simple but also delicious.
Overall, the experience was really cool. The food was delicious. The main was a huge portion and the surprises definitely made it more enjoyable. Our chats in the dark room made our conversations felt like secrets being enjoyed by the two whilst at the same time we could eavesdrop on other’s secret. It’s ok since we can’t even tell who they are once we leave the room. However, at hindsight it would be fun to imagine how the other diners look by the sound of their voice. I’d probably do that the next time I go.
One downside to this restaurant was the line-​up to pay. It was in a dimly lit room and I guess it was to match the theme but it made it difficult for for everyone to see in the dark. The room was small and it filled up with quickly with all the guests per table. That was the only thing I would suggest to improve on. The taste of the food was great, the concept was good, the portion was reasonable and filling.

My daughter and I had heard about this dining experience-​and even though I was a bit anxious about it-​we decided to try it.
It was a tremendous opportunity to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes-​even if just marginally.
Our server Dustin was excellent, patient and thoughtful when answering our many questions.
The food was also good. The wine list is short and limited-​however, which would be my one criticism.
We enjoyed our dinner and were reminded of the great blessing our sight truly is.

It’s not necessarily the food, but the quality of the experience that makes this place unique. Usually the sight of food is what makes us salivate in anticipation of its taste. At Dark Table the sense of sight is taken away while other senses become heightened.
My friends and I chose our food from menus outside of the restaurant. This is when the servers ask if anyone has any food allergies. To elevate the level of excitement, I opted for my entire three course menu to be a surprise. I decided to leave it to my amateur palate to figure out what I was eating.
We were guided by our waitress Rose into the restaurant with a pit stop to the washrooms first (at our request). We walked single file, hands to shoulders in the complete darkness. The washrooms were dimly lit but enough for us to find our way.
Rose was very good at communicating especially when guiding us to and from our tables. She was especially careful when handing us hot plates or our drink glasses. You could hear other servers saying «careful» while passing by the darkness.
My friends and I had a good time freaking ourselves out with scary scenarios. We imagined that a stranger could be sitting with us at our tables… without us knowing. We also talked about how we thought the place was decorated and in what colors.
In the end the experience was very unforgettable. Definitely a bonding experience amongst friends. I found out my surprise meal was salad, ocean perch with risotto and chocolate mousse cake for dessert.
Heads up when heading out of the restaurant. Your eyes will get a big shock when seeing light again. I had to put on sunglasses!

Imagine being completely blind and trying to do something as easy as poking a piece of meat with your fork. The Dark Table definitely makes you have appreciation for sight.
I came here with 4 friends on a Sunday night. Be sure to make reservations! When you walk up you will be greeted by the hostess who will take your food and drink order. You will at that time make the hostess aware of any allergies. Your appy & dessert will be a «surprise» and you can choose to have your beverage and main entrée a surprise, if you’d like.
It is literally PITCH BLACK in the dinning room. You cant see your hand in front of your face!
Your waiter will bring your any and everything you need. Just shout their name when you need them! Our waiter was Ancar, he was awesome! Very patient and always there when needed.
This experience was great but the paying process is dreadful! They should really consider integrating another process. They literally have 10 – 15 people all from different parties standing in a pitch black room waiting to make their way to the front window where there is dim light and a cashier. And once you’ve waited 15 — 20 minutes to pay you then have to wait for your waiter to come back and walk you back through the dinning room and out the front door.

Dark Table. Dark room. Dark food. Dark people. Dark everything! I came here for the experience and it was memorable and humbling.
Upon arriving, my boyfriend and I were greeted quickly and we had the chance to sit outside and decide on our meal choices. We essentially only had the opportunity to choose our entrée because the starter and dessert were both specials of the day. Once we gave our order, we were introduced to our server who is blind and Albert led us to our table via the haunted house method of holding each other’s shoulders.
It is literally pitch black in there besides from a tiny glimpse of a red light from the washroom/​cashier booth — only seen if you’re close to the front of the room. Other than that occasional peak of light, it was darkest room I’ve ever been to — no computer lights, no cell phone light, no windows… nothing! It took a few minutes for me to get used to it but eventually my eyes and mind relaxed and it became comfortable. If you are cloisterphobic, be weary, I almost felt a little anxious due to the pitch black.
For starters we had a salad. Of course I couldn’t see what was on my plate but it was a variety of fresh greens, some parmesan cheese and a light salad dressing.
For the entrée, I had the Peppered Garlic Prawns on Citrus Risotto and Seasonal Vegetables. the prawns were cooked perfectly, tender and moist with a buttery garlic glaze and the risotto had a pleasant citrus taste but I had the occasional hard grain — toothpick please! The vegetables were cut up into square blocks, probably a root vegetable. My boyfriend had the Beef Tenderloin. He asked for medium rare but it came out as medium, it was still tender but the taste would have been better as medium rare.
For dessert, Albert placed it right. I got the chocolate mousse cake, which had a rich, moist chocolate cake and smooth milky mousse topping. It was really yummy! I enjoy it thoroughly, plate licked clean! Good thing no one can see what you’re doing! My boyfriend had a cheesecake, which he really enjoyed too being a rich, sweet and creamy dessert.
Without the distraction of phones and looking at other people, we had a really good conversation and it was so interesting with our revelations about the «loss of sight». Eating had its challenges but it wasn’t as bad as I thought — I was able to use my fork the whole time with the help of 2 fingers to sense where my food was and to scoop up every last bite. Although, it is definitely a humbling experience… the sense of sight is such a huge part of my life.
Albert was really good with giving us directions and he was so timely with collecting our plates and giving us our next course. It was like he could tell when we were finished eating! He was attentive to when we called out his name and very pleasant.
Overall, a really memorable experience. A little pricey, but worth it to try if you have never been. I can’t keep you in the dark about this little gem of a restaurant/​experience!

Great experience! The host and server are skilled and provided a memorable experience.
We absolutely loved the shrimp and risotto. great cheese and herb flavors. This place was indeed DARK!!!
Very fun and eclectic — must do at least once in your life :) I would love to go back!