I reccently decided to try o noir because of its unique dining experience and Groupon deal which was going on. I'll get back to the Groupon deal in a second but first the dining experience. The dining experience is very unique and intersting having to rely much heavily on your other senses other than sight. It can get quite loud in the rooms because people assume they cannot be heard or something when the light is off and that the room isn't very large. Another nucence is that although the staff advise diners no phones, people still check their phones which ruin the experience and is blinding. The appetizers came out very quickly and I had the calamari while my of had the salad. The food was better than expected considering what I have heard from other reviews I've read prior to eating there. We waited I'm assuming 30 mins at least for the main entre to arrive assuming its due to the fact that we were seated first and the other partons were just starting their apps. When the main course finally arrived it didn't disappoint I had the stake and my gf had the chicken dish. Both were on point and the portion size was good. Finally the deserts came out a lot quicker than the wait for the main entree. I had the surprise desert and my gf had the sorbet. Nothing special but I did enjoy the surprise which I believe is a fruit based cake. Finally when paying for the dinner with my Groupon I was shocked that it didn't not have taxes paid on the vouch which I was expecting. The gratitude were auto charged to my balance which ended up being $13 based off of 15%, which I did expect. Overall savings of the Groupon deal was nil due to this fact and I was a little disappointed that this was not more explicitly stated on the voucher I purchased. Never again. read more

I was visiting this from the U.S. for a friend's birthday, and it was a great experience. When other reviewers here wrote that your eyes never adjust, I was like, naah, they'd have to adjust eventually. They DON"T. You eat in complete pitch black darkness the whole time. I'd recommend ditching the silverware and just eating with your hands; eating with your hands with no sight definitely enhances the experience, because we rarely pay attention to texture. I know other reviewers didn't especially like the food. I personally loved my (pre-cut steak) the desert was good, not pheonominal but good, and the appetizer was good. My friend had the surprise option, but most of the items were variants of things on the menu, so she was disappointed on that. The surprise items she said weren't that special either; so you could just do one surprise item and then pick out the rest. Definitely recommend at least once read more

The food was garbage and there is no 'experience' unless you consider sitting in the dark waiting ages for your food to arrive to be an experience. The person we communicated with by email when making the booking was extremely rude and is presumably the same person who replies so defensively and condescendingly to every review on Groupon. The surprise meat main was some boiled green beans, some mashed potato and some horrible pieces of dry, tough, way over-cooked meat that I think was pork but who knows. The price of the Groupon deal is totally misleading too, you end up paying way more than you expect. It's totally not worth it. read more

This place is a gimmick my rating is 1 star because that's the absolute minimum I can give. My girlfriend surprised me by bringing me here for my birthday. The experience starts out with you being led into a room where you pre-select your meal. I ordered the surprise vegetarian dish with the surprise desserts. My gf ordered Grilled Calamari with Tomato and O.Noir Filet Mignon Served with Potatoes and Vegetables. You start out with bread and butter. The grilled calamari was cooked well the sauce was pretty good. It came out within 20 minutes. A ponzu like sauce with tangy nodes. The surprise vegetarian dish was easily one of the worst meals I HAVE ever HAD. The consistency all around was like eating baby food. The only positive was the vegetables were cooked well(no seasoning). The sauce was a sweet like and the "noodles" was some kind of vegetable made into noodles or spaghetti. The sauce did not work well with the dish, it was overly sweet and somewhat boring. This place uses very little seasoning (none on the table as well). You couldn't even pay me to eat that dish again. (absolute zero spice as well) I tried some of my gf's potatoes and vegetables. Once again, no seasoning on the potatoes or vegetables, they were bland. However, they were cooked properly. She said her meat was low quality, a lot of cartilage and tendons, we couldn't see if the meat was sliced properly either. The surprise dessert was 3 SMALL pieces of cheese cake. I love cheese cake, it tasted good but for that price ($15), I would not be happy to pay for that. Let me first start by saying I wasn't hungry going into the meal. I eat mostly vegetarian because of diet restrictions. Our waiter was friendly however, I think he was given too many tables or the kitchen didn't prioritize orders properly. We were seated pretty early in our dinner service as the tables started filling up and everyone took a seat, dishes started coming to the tables. After we received the calamari dish, we didn't get one for a good amount of time. In fact being in the dark and bored you hear things, we were one of the last people to receive our dish. (After I asked the server where our food was) Service is bad, Price is laughable, but hey if you want to go sit in the dark and eat bad food be my guest. I would not recommend this place to anybody unless they had money to blow. And no you do not taste better in the dark. All in all this place left a sour taste in my mouth both literally and figuratively. read more

The food here was okay, but the portions was a good size. However, you don't go in here for really either of them. The trip to O.Noir is purely for the experience. As soon as you enter, you are greeted, given the menus to decide what you would like to have (2 course or 3 course). Once decided, you are then taken into a very very dark room, literally removing one of the sense you rely upon so much - Sight. From then on, you are really on a ride to enjoy your other senses, really get to feel/taste/smell your food, be able to differentiate between ingredients based on the 'bite' or the 'taste'. You really start appreciating how your senses are enhanced and also appreciate and respect the folks who are visually impaired. I would highly recommend for the experience and enjoy the trip there - make sure to have a reservation a bit in Advance (almost 3 days before on average) as it is a popular place and a one of a kind location read more

Certainly worth checking off the bucket list. It's a unique experience. Mine left me uncomfortable and more sympathetic to those that are severely visually impaired or blind. Menu is pre selected with limited variety. You pay for the experience not for the food. Portions are good but the quality is mediocre. Spent half of my dinner chasing food around my plate and trying my best to hear my friend that I went with. Unique experience, glad I did this once. Now onto the next niche. read more

Definitely believe the reviews on the food. Expect a banquet hall meal for sure - I got the roasted vegetable appetizer and the filet main course. The beef was cooked to order which was nice - however the remainder of the meal was unremarkable. The green beans were long, awkward to eat, and coated in instant gravy. And the roasted potatoes were cold and slightly over cooked. The experience however was definitely unforgettable! Our server was patient and courteous and was always around in case we needed anything. My only gripe on the atmosphere was we were there during a busy time on a Friday night so it did get really loud (drunks) - definitely go for an off-peak dinner hour! read more

Booked this as a Groupon as it seemed like it would be a fun date night for my girlfriend and I, and we definitely weren't disappointed, as it turned out to be pretty much everything we expected and more. It would be worth it even at the full price, and we'll almost certainly go back again in the future. As other reviewers have pointed out, there is no understating that you're dining in the *dark*. Pitch, black, inky, darkness. They ask you to turn off cellphones and avoid any clothing or jewellery such as watches that may illuminate or glow, and in our experience, everybody was pretty good in that regard. It was dark to the point that your eyes actually play tricks on you for the first little while until you've sort of fully adjusted and your brain has accepted that you're not going to be seeing anything for the next two hours. The serving staff were polite and professional, and while it was more than a little disconcerting and even a bit spooky when first being led into the dark dining room, once we managed to get seated and the server described where everything was on the table, we got settled in pretty quickly. One of the great things about the experience is that you don't feel at all rushed... the meal gets started pretty quickly as all of the seatings are generally at the same time, but you've basically got about two hours to get through a three-course meal -- plenty of time to enjoy the meal and the experience, and the food came at a completely appropriate pace -- not too fast, and not too slow. As a concession to the fact that you're dining in the dark, the table settings are kept basic... You get a napkin, plate, fork and knife when you first sit down. Obviously no need for other ornamentation, and the server brings water and drinks to you at the table, holding them out for you to feel for and grasp yourself and then set on the table on the side away from the server. We had ordered a bottle of wine, and rather than bring the bottle to the table and expect us to pour and handle it in the dark, they basically divide a bottle into four glasses -- the server brought the first two filled and ready, and simply told us we could ask for the second whenever we were ready. I had the arugula salad, and my girlfriend had the portobello mushroom appetizer. While it was a bit challenging to eat in the dark, that's of course all part of the experience, and you can't be afraid to get your hands a bit messy unless you're really that good aiming a fork and knife without the benefit of your eyes. We both had the filet mignon for the main course, which arrives pre-cut to save the trouble of wielding a steak knife in the dark, and then decided to go for the surprise option for dessert -- we ended up with what seemed like a walnut-mocha cheesecake, although we forgot to ask afterward exactly what it was. Either way, we both felt that the surprise dessert ended up being a better choice than the other standard options on the dessert menu, and it's definitely fun getting food in the dark and having to figure out what you're eating solely by texture and taste. It was definitely worth taking the chance, at least for dessert, but if you're feeling really adventurous, you can select a surprise for each of the three courses, which would make for an interesting dining experience overall. In terms of ambience, the room was about what one would expect in a standard nice restaurant, with conversations going on around us, but not bothersome or interrupting our own conversation. In fact, the darkness provided a sense of privacy and intimacy that may not have otherwise been present in a standard restaurant setting, and both my girlfriend and I actually enjoyed just sitting there and having some serious conversations about the experience and just life in general which was made more interesting based on the fact that we were just disembodied voices in the dar (she was probably also making faces at me the whole time, mind you :) ). While this may not be an ideal first date experience, it's definitely a great date night for somebody that you've known for a while, especially if you enjoy trying new things and have a good whimsical sense of what's fun and interesting. read more

O.Noir - Appropriate quip on the hallway on the way in... - Canadian (New) Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I love this place. If you've never been here don't get turned off by the bad reviews. If you are someone that's adventurous and like to try new things then you NEED to try this place out. I came here with 5 other friends and 5 of us had so much fun and really tried to relax and enjoy the food. On the other hand one of our friend was just complaining about being scared in the dark whatsoever. I would say without that friend I would have given the whole experience a 5 star but since it wasn't their fault, I'm giving 5 anyways. Victor was great. It was our first time there and he was very patient with us. I got the main and dessert Filet Mignon (blue rare)- YUM! I was concerned that I might cut myself but turned out they cut it for you. BONUS Surprise dessert- For those of you that haven't tried it before I don't want to spoil it for u but I can say I would rather have the chocolate cake. Prices are reasonable, It's the only dine in the dark restaurant in Toronto! loveitloveitloveit will be back! read more

This restaurant is about the dining in the dark experience, not so much about the food. I came here a while back, so I can't remember what I had, but it was decent, but nothing special (wine was good, though). I would rate the food a 3, and the experience a 4 - 5 (depends on who you are with and how fun you make it). I laughed a lot, and had a great time, and it was overall a cool experience. One of the people I was with interestingly mentioned that the restaurant doesn't have to worry about the presentation of the food. I would recommend coming here at least once. I think this is a great first, second or third date idea. I also recommend having some drinks to make the experience even more interesting. It is honestly beyond me how the servers bring the food and walk you to the bathroom when it is pitch black. Now that I think about it actually, the servers are visually impaired. Overall, it was a memorable experience. read more

Have been here twice- once with a large group and once just with my fiancé. It's definitely a better experience in smaller numbers as you can't see anything at all- literally pitch black darkness. Food is awesome- you have the option to select 'surprise' courses from the menu which was an added level to the experience. Recommending this place to anyone looking for a unique dining experience. Our server, Dave, was 5 stars! read more

Thought i scored a deal by paying $30 for a 3 course menu for 2, turned out not so. The concept is cool, execution not so. The dinning area was tiny, with at least 9 tables in a small area. It was NOISY, all the conversations overlapped and every guest needed to raise their voices so that their partner can hear. Service was fast for starter and dessert, but the entree was SLOW, we are fast eaters and it took us 90 mins between entering and exiting the dinning area. The portion of food was TINY, I ordered 3 surprises (green salad, 4 tiny pieces of duck and caramel cheesecake) and my friend ordered grill peppers, 4 pieces of chicken breast and surprise desert (caramel cheesecake). It tasted ok, but we left HUNGRY. Even with the deal, i find it EXPENSIVE, with the "included" 18% tip on the base price. The total for us was $30 + ~$25 = ~$55. Even if i can score this deal again, I wouldnt go again, let alone pay the regular price. Insane... read more

I enjoyed coming here for dinner. I ordered the filet mignon that came with vegetables and potatoes. To my surprise the steak was actually good and moist. The potatoes were in big chunks. I thought it would be difficult to eat in the dark but I did fine. I didn't stab my self or anyone. It was nice to enjoy each others company with out cell phone distractions. I would definitely recommend this place to others. It was a great experience. read more

I was a bit skeptical of coming here after reading the reviews. However, I had a great experience! Our server was Nasir, and he was great. We had order the appetizer, meal, drink and dessert as a surprise. I was in hopes that my date and I were able to each have something different, but we ended up with the same things. Overall, the food was good but this is definitely, a place that you are paying for the experience, which is hard to come by. From what I could hear, Nasir was the only server attending to everyone and he brought everything in a timely manner. Coming here is a bit pricey, but I think it's a great experience in general. I definitely would recommend it for the experience. Guessing what you are eating makes it more enjoyable. We had the Filet Mignon served with mash potatoes and green bean. The mashed potatoes were nice and hot. The steak was not as hot or as big as I expected, but it was seasoned well! The surprise starter, from my guess was a delicious salad. Overall, the portions were good. We used a groupon coupon, however you are required to pay 18% tip and I believe there was a issuing fee as well that you do not pay when you get the coupon off the site. I think if you're the type who is going to fancy restaurants and expecting top notch quality, this is not your cup of tea. This place is more for people with an open mind. read more

I agree that the novelty factor is a 5 star experience but the food isn't the greatest. It's not bad but for 32 to 39 per person just for food (no drink), I expected much better I had the octopus and filet mignon. The octopus was okay, but a tad salty and slightly chewy. The filet mignon tasted good but it was the equivalent to the Keg, which is much cheaper. I think if there was a special occasion, or someone out of town visiting, I might take them there, but its not a "recurring" everyday place. Overall, not bad, but not wowed by any means. read more

I went here to celebrate my anniversary with my boyfriend and this is definitely a unique experience. The servers were friendly and helpful and the atmosphere was very relaxed. I thought we'd be escorted into private rooms but it seemed to be multiple rooms with at least 40 seats in each room. My boyfriend and I both got the 2-course meal. He ordered a surprise starter and got the filet mignon served with potatoes and veggies. I ordered the grilled octopus and risotto with shrimp. The room we were in was very noisy (or at least it seemed that way to me) and it seemed that there was a lot of people dining as well. I'm not sure if it was because of the lack of vision, but the flavours of every food I had was enhanced. I could taste the saltiness of the mignon, the acidity of the octopus, the rich creamy taste of the risotto in more detail than I thought I could have. There was only slight difficulty in eating the food since you can't really see your plate at all (believe me, it was complete darkness) but it's not too difficult if you just move your hands around slowly to feel for the utensils. I have to admit I did accidentally stick my finger in the butter once or twice and I almost knocked over my glass of water. Overall, a great experience and I would recommend to couples or friends who want a change of pace in their usual dining dates. read more

Long story short, very gimmicky and not worth it. The food was subpar and extremely overpriced. The foods were very typical and boring, like... Grilled chicken, a Caesar salad, vanilla ice cream and chocolate cake, etc. The most exciting thing on the menu was perhaps the grilled octopus but it wasn't tasty, and I've had plenty of octopus before to compare and know how a properly prepared octopus should taste like. The section of the restaurant that was lit didn't look too hygienic. Once inside the dark room, I was feeling the table and the chairs and some parts felt sticky. The server was very friendly but service was incredibly slow. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is because the server was friendly. We got a Groupon but taxes and tip were an additional $22. The food and experience were not worth it, even when the Groupon discount. The darkness didn't enhance the taste experience of these poorly prepared dishes. I hear that there are better dark dining restaurants in other cities. read more

It was really nice! I booked it for my birthday and the experience is a must try. The waiter is so nice and helps you get comfortable with the surroundings. At the beginning I was a bit nervous for what was to come, but I started feeling comfortable as more time passed. Do not recommend if you are afraid of the dark or if you have anxiety. read more

It was a very fun experience! However the food was pretty bad. So go for the experience and do not get your hoes up on the food because you will be disappointed. read more

This place was very exciting, something fun and new. I felt an excited suspense all around me. Wondering what the "surprise dish" might be, and picturing what the inside might look like. The food suffered from the artifact of old age that was seeping out from the decor. Surprise! Sliced, broiled, chicken breast in gravy, served with fully cooked yet firm potato, and green beans. I wish this place had a better menu, it would have made the whole experience 4 star, easily. read more

i have been here twice and going back tonight this time with my husband. i went with a friend before and my mom and aunt the second time. the service is just on point and the food is nothing like I have ever had I drive almost 2 hours to go to this amazing place. the experance is just so intriguing. it actually gives you the feeling of what it's like to be blind one of the times we went we drove in to toronto and it was night time and while you sitting in that dark room you realize that if I were blind coming into Toronto whould be so different just give you a better respect for the things we do have and an u derstanding for things we don't not I don't recomend going if your clostrrphobic censuses I did bring my mother in law and she could not eat in the dark space but she was able to eat in the dimmed area so all worked out and she got to eat the amazing food read more

I love the idea of giving sighted people a chance to experience dining as if they were blind. I went last night with 4 friends. We were led into a room that was pitch black. You could see nothing. We adjusted better than we expected. The food was excellent which surprised us since I'd heard it was so-so. Our server was great. The only negatives were they were understaffed so what was supposed to be a 90 minute experience turned into roughly 150 minutes. Our waiter was so busy we only each had 1 drink despite asking for more. One of us got a second drink at the end. The only other negative was there was a table of what sounded like teenagers that kept screaming and yelling such that we could not hear each other talk. That part was awful and we kept having to ask them not to continue yelling. After they left it was nice. Someone should monitor the noise. read more

When deciding where to go to Valentine's Day dinner, we decided to try something a little different and have an "experience" , instead of just dinner. So we made reservations at O. Noir. Overall, it was a good time and a good laugh. One recommendation: Maybe don't wear your BEST clothes to this place, as there is a very really possibility that you will drop food on yourself. THE WAY IT WORKS: For those of you who don't know - You enter into a lounge with brick walls and dim lights. You pre-order your meal and can order drinks from the bar there. THen you are introduced to your waiter(ess), who is visually impaired, and are led into a pitch black room and seated at your table. And it IS pitch black. You can't see your hand in front of your face. Your eyes never adjust and there is a sort of entrance way into the room, so you never even get light from the door when someone enters the room. You are then served your food and have to go about the task of trying to eat it, while blind. This is a challenge, because you can't see the food and because even when you THINK you've finally speared a veggie, for example, when you bring the fork to your mouth, you realized you've lost it somewhere along the way. Usually into your lap. This is DEFINITELY an experience, does an interesting job at raising awareness, but here are my issues with this place: The food was good, but not great. This becomes more apparent when you can't even see the presentation of the food and are reliant entirely on taste. It needs to taste GREAT. This was distinctly forgettable food. I would have liked to see the room we were in at the end of the meal. YES, I know this would require everyone eating at the same time, no new people entering, but I was a little sketched out about never seeing where I was. Basically, you could be in dirty, dank basement storage room and you'd never know! Finally, it's very expensive! I found that I liked it to try once and say I've done it, but it's gimmicky and that doesn't translate well into a place that will become a go-to favorite. Once is enough for me! read more

We made reservations here before and came in on a pretty slow? time. The dining area we were showed in had only me and my hubby and another couple who came in after. The experience all together was very unique indeed, its nice to eat in the dark and not have to be picky about whats on my plate for once, lol. Our server was really, really nice and she was quick to serve us in whatever we requested. As for the food? it was okay, nothing amazing from what I tasted but I guess it depends on what you order I guess. I would go back here if I wanted to show a friend/family another kind of dining experience. read more

Took 2 hours and 30 minutes to get served a three course meal. I spent $15 on a coke & ice tea because refills are not free..... Im glad, I didn't order more drinks. Calamari was inedible, I spit it back on my plate. My steak was lukewarm and was old, tasted like it was warmed up in the microwave... I ate it all because the hour wait from appetizer to main course was an hour and I was starving. Surprise dessert tasted like a grocery store bought piece of cake. I headed to Jack Astors afterwards because I was left hungry and dissatisfied. $110 for two people...not worth it. read more

Super cool experience in which I learned it is easier to eat cheesecake than salad when blind. Would highly recommend it! Gavin, my waiter was fabulous - gentle, funny. A truly humbling experience. The seafood starter was not my fav but the filet was delicious. Skip the lemon drop martini - it wasn't very lemony. read more

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After dining here multiple times, I can confidently say that this restaurant is only good for the gimmick of eating in the dark. The service is great and usually timed very well to allow you to have enough time to chat with your date or friend without letting you go hungry. You must also keep in mind that the style of service is very different from typical restaurants. The servers will not be checking up if you need more water because they can't even see if you're finished! It is a bit ridiculous to expect this restaurant to have the same service as a lit one. The servers are very responsive so call out to them if you need anything. The food is average at best. The experience of O.Noir is supposed to "enhance your other senses", but if your food is overcooked or too cold, having "enhanced senses" are not going to help you overlook this. Make sure to wash your hands before you eat. You will most likely be relying on them to eat your meal and to check if there's anything left on your plate. It's nice to try this place once. Other than that, you can find better food elsewhere for a better price. read more

Went to O Noir for the first time, and most likely the last. All the servers are blind, our server, Dave was a delight, very nice and attentive. As you go into the room, you are told to hold onto the waiters shoulder so he can seat you as the room is very dark. The waiter told us where our plates and cutlery is. My girlfriend ordered the mushroom salad for appetizer and I the roasted peppers with goat cheese. The roasted peppers were bland and had no seasoning on it. The salad was better. For our main my girlfriend ordered the fillet minion and vegetables and I ordered the shrimp risotto and vegetables. The shrimp and steak were good and seasoned. The vegetables you can clearly tell that they had used frozen mixed vegetables. The centre of our vegetables were still frozen!!! For $33 per person, you would expect fresh food. Trying to eat with a fork proved to be a difficult task, the experience made me empathize more for people without vision. read more

Definitely a once in a lifetime experience in Toronto! It truly is pitch black in there, and I thought it would be scary but it's actually okay. I also want to reiterate what so many people have said before: Dave is awesome! He's attentive and kind and full of good humour! We had the three course meal and everything was pretty good! For appetizers, we both agreed that the octopus was better than the calamari because the pieces are larger with more flavour My steak was delicious, and the shrimp with rice was so good, even though the rice was a bit undercooked. Desserts we went with a surprise! And it was a delicious berry cheesecake. Empty plates back to the kitchen! It is definitely a unique experience, and the first taste of every part of the meal just bursts with flavour. Would go again for another special occasion :-) read more

Really disappointed with this restaurant. I got a Groupon voucher as a gift from someone and was excited to try this place out having heard so much about it. Upon being greeted I felt like we were really rushed - the hostess wasn't especially welcoming and we had something like 2 minutes to make our meal selections. It started out well enough. Our waiter Nasir was really lovely. Friendly and warm and very helpful. Even though we were in the dark it was pretty obvious that is was very cramped. We sat in galley like arrangements and though it seemed pretty empty, had someone been sitting next to you, you would easily have taken them out had you lifted your elbow! You need a bit of room! I could not imagine sitting next to someone I don't know and feeling like I am in their personal space! The food was to put it bluntly crap. Cold, barely luke warm. I had prawns, my partner had steak. Even though it was dark, I am a pretty seasoned prawn diner - they we old. The texture and taste of the prawns was such that they would have need to be thrown out either that day or the next. The dessert - we both got the Chocolate Cake. I'm not exactly sure where the cake was, but it's not nice eating in darkness to take a bit of cake and get a mouthful of only icing. We ended up getting charged a ridiculous $30 for two non-alcoholic drinks, tax and automatic 15% tip - 15% tip was not deserved. This ended up costing (adding on the cost of the voucher my girlfriend paid) the equivalent to dining in a nice restaurant for 2, maybe more and it was not worth it. Very disappointed. Felt rotten to have to go back to my friend and tell her that her gift was not all she had hoped. :( read more

Our server was nice, but food sucks. I ordered cream pasta, but They gave me the wrong dish. They didn't apologize and didn't offer me discount. I tried to eat what they gave me wrong instead of cream pasta I ordered, but I couldn't eat even a bite. Food was terrible. Now I understand why they serve food in the dark. I'll never go again. read more

I absolutely loved this place! The entire dinner was something I think everyone should experience! The food was phenomenal!! I had the vegetable stir-fry and it was amazing as well as the cocktails! The chocolate mousse is also to die for! The darkness of the room really made it a great experience! 10/10 would recommend!! read more

The reason I am giving this place a four stars is because of the experience. O Noir executed dining in the dark perfectly. The restaurant lobby was dimly lit but the actual seating area was pitch black. I am happy that I went to this restaurant because the experience was like no other. I was quiet uncomfortable because the experience was true to what a blind person feels. Our server was very good and made it easy to get to our seats and grab our food from his hands. I had the calamari which was grilled and chicken and vegetables for my main. The calamari dish was good and easy to eat in the dark because I could feel my fork stabbing the squid. My friend had the salad and she struggled a bit more because it was harder to get the lettuce. The chicken with cream sauce was excellent ! The chicken was tender and the sauce was delicious. The hardest part of the night was spreading butter on my bread. The place was cold due to the darkness. The only area of improvement would be serving food at hotter temperature. read more

O'Noir is perhaps the only place in Toronto where you can enjoy unique experience of eating food in the dark! Their surprise dishes could really surprise you. ENVIRONMENT: You need to reserve tables before you go there. They have fixed time where guests are allowed. Make sure you check their website to see times when guests are allowed. You will need to look at the menu outside of dining room. After you tell one of their people what you want, a blind waiter or waitress will take you to their dining room where it's pitch-dark. You will need to place your left arm on his/her left shoulder when walking inside their dining room. You will eat in a room where it is pitch dark, lights are absolutely not allowed in here. This is a really interesting environment because they say when you can't see anything, your other senses will become more sensitive. I will talk about this in Food section below. The fun part about eating in dark is that you get to find where your food is and find out what kind of flavoring they have. For me finding food was like a game so I really enjoyed the experience. FOOD: There are two types of prix fixe meal courses. $32 for either appetizer + main or main + dessert. $39 for appetizer + main +dessert. All courses comes with one bread. Me and my friend ordered 1. Grilled Portobello Mushroom with Parmigiano and Balsamic Vinegar on a Mixed Green Salad 2. Grilled Calamari on a Mixed Green Salad 3. 2 of Five Spice O.Noir Filet Mignon Served with Potatoes and Vegetables In the darkness, I actually tried to figure out what kind of flavors they put on my dishes. I managed to figure them out and I thought it was very fun to figure them out. Overall I really enjoyed to eat all of them. Although the portions were small for $32. If you order surprise dishes then don't expect your waiter/waitress to tell you what the dishes are. Total surprise for ya! If would be fun to check out what surprise dishes are. PRICE: For $32, don't expect this place to make you full. I'd say even $39 meal wouldn't make you full. For app+main dish, if you get it elsewhere it would cost you $16. However, experience is priceless. If your goal is to add this fantastic experience to your life, then I would definitely recommend you to go try it at least once. I would personally go to this place two times in total. Second time when I go, I would order surprise dishes. BOTTOM LINE: Try it at least once read more

Just to reiterate what the other reviews said... The steak was fantastic. Because you are forced to visualize what your food looks like you find that it stays with you longer. Even though I didn't 'see' my steak, I have an extremely defined image of what I thought it looked like. One course and you drop your utensils and start exploring the food by hand. It definitely adds to the experience. I'm not sure if it was mentioned, but our server was visually impaired which added a level of appreciation to the experience. read more

I would give 0 star if I was able to. I signed up on Yelp just to give this review. The whole experience was not acceptable. It felt like eating in a completely dark food court. Low food quality. No comments on the service, but one server takes care of around 5 tables just so you know. - I ordered shrimp risotto and received curry chicken on rice as my surprise starter. A LOT of rice for this meal, real surprise. - I went to the ONoir in Montreal twice and loved both experience, the toronto one is in no comparison. - just annoyed, it was not worth of the time and the money for this experience. read more

The food at O Noir is very basic and ordinary, but what really amplifies this place is the novelty and experience of eating in total darkness. We were extremely impressed with our waiter who was on point, charismatic and charming. If you're looking for something different to do in the city on a Saturday night - do this. read more

Okay--the food is not the best, not is it the worst. But what a tremendous experience. The waitstaff is tremendous and makes the experience truly enjoyable. read more

My experience seems to have differed from that of many people here. Our waiter, Elias, was extremely efficient and friendly (ok, he did get a little snappy when he realized we'd finished eating a while earlier and hadn't called for him for the next course, but we were dining, not just experiencing the dark, and enjoying each other's company), never mixed up orders, projected his voice expertly so we always knew when he was coming to us and not to the next group at the long table (a gap of one seat on either side was left between us and their party). My fish and veggies was quite good. I like breading and crunch on my fish, so that suited me quite well. The rice was lovely, though there wasn't much. The veg was slightly over-steamed green beans (my guest got steamed asparagus with his steak). I'd called that "fish and veggie," no "s", but that's just a quibble. As previous reviewers have mentioned, you're hunting your food around the plate and more than once (especially with something like green beans, that can be hard to keep on a fork when you CAN see what you're doing!) you'll get a fork to your mouth only to discover there's nothing on it. The desserts were sorbet and chocolate mousse. The mousse was delectable, though it had some sort of soft brownie or cake beneath; I literally couldn't get just one mouthful cut off and found myself with a HUGE chunk that needed to be nibbled off in the dark. I felt like a little kid, because without my napkin to scrub my face, I'd have left the room with chocolate *everywhere* on my face. I know some people find the "atmosphere" straining or uncomfortable in the dark. I was actually with a friend who is usually quite quiet, but was much *more* animated in the dark and we had a wonderful chat while we enjoyed our food. The room is *dark*. They have double-layer black-out curtains to keep all light from the door or kitchen window out of the room; I'm *extremely* photosensitive so could just make out a bit of movement when my friend waved his hands at me, but that was it. The one warning I'd give, other than the ones given by others here (and I definitely disagree with some of them - we enjoyed our food and the service, though it wasn't the best meal either of us had ever had), is: If you are photosensitive, BE CAREFUL. The moment I walked out of the dining room, I had *stabbing* pains in my eyes. So bad strangers were offering me sunglasses, and one of the sighted servers saw me in obvious pain and brought me to a very dark corner to give my eyes more time (she mentioned that they do, occasionally, get a customer like me, whose eyes don't adjust back quickly, and recommended I keep sunglasses on until I went to bed). I was in pain the rest of the night. :( read more

Hands down the best dining experience I've ever had. The pitch black room, the friendly staff, the delicious food, all of it were amazing. I highly recommend going with friends who like food and can appreciate the logistical nightmare it must be to make this restaurant work. Waiters ask your name, lead you in by holding onto their shoulder and generally are attentive. While the food isn't top of the line gourmet, it is fun and delicious and an excuse to eat with your fingers and lick the plates. Just wonderful! read more