- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Opaque - Dining in the Dark at V Lounge
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
2020 Wilshire BlvdSanta Monica, CA 90403
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
(310) 546-7619
- Hours:
Thu 6:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Rena M. said: "Came here Friday night for dineLA. This restaurant is located at the Huntley Hotel at the top floor. The view is amazing. The entire restaurant is all windows so you have a beautiful view of the city no matter if you are in the…" read more »
118 reviews for Opaque - Dining in the Dark at V Lounge
Review Highlights
"I can say the chocolate lava cake was absolutely delicious."
(in 20 reviews)
"...for dessert I had the Mango Panna Cotta with coconut crème..."
(in 13 reviews)
"I chose the heirloom tomato salad with basil, extra virgin..."
(in 6 reviews)
Loading...
118 reviews in English
-
Review from Melodee S.
Kagel Canyon, CA
2/3/2012
My sister and I came here with our deal from Groupon. May I say we had a WONDERFUL experience. Normal price is $99 per person but since Groupon had it for $49, we jumped at the opportunity. First off, when you arrive, the entrance is a bit seedy. I was a little nervous. But once inside I felt better. You make your food selections in the light. Your blind server then comes out and guides you into the totally PITCH BLACK room! One thing we noticed first off was that our other senses immediately kicked in. We were overwhelmed by the smells of the food in the room and even the smallest noise such as a fork hitting a plate was amplified.
Our server then safely guided us to our table and asked for our hands so she could show us where the chairs were. We ordered wine and prayed it was in a stemless glass. When it arrived and we felt that it was stemless, our server Beatrice laughed and said, "We aren't that cruel". LOL!
Now for the food, I'm not sure if it was because I couldn't see it, but it was absolutely delicious!! My sister and I both had the cucumber and tomato salad and we had so much fun tasting what we were eating. It was a surprise in every bite! I picked up the plate and started slurping up the dressing and leftovers because afterall, who could see me do it!
Next was our main entree. My sister and I both got the filet and it too was seasoned to perfection. It did come with a steak knife but we were very thankful that it came pre-sliced. Again, the lack of sight forces your other senses to go into high gear. I was able to feel and taste the difference of texture in the meat. I could feel what was still red and what was cooked. It was amazing!
For both the salad and the main meal, my sister and I abandoned our utencils. It was just much easier to eat with our hands. My sister laughed while eating her salad because she kept putting an empty fork in her mouth since the food would fall off and she didn't know it. LOL!
Dessert was wonderful. I had the chocolate lava cake and my sister had the mango dessert. This we were able to eat with a spoon.
My final moment of joy came towards the end of the evening. Throughout our dinner, we kept seeing small bursts of light. We wrote it off as our eyes playing tricks on us. Later, as I was examining the napkin to see if the restaurant was playing a nasty joke on us, I realized it was the static electricity on the napkin. I did everything in my power to make it light up and it was so much fun!
We heard someone spill something on their dinner partner and we heard great conversations. LOL! I definitely recommend it although not for full price. The experience is worth the $50 price tag though. -
Review from Cynthia A.
Torrance, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a definite once in a lifetime experience. I'm giving it a 4 star for the atmosphere, the concept, and the overall experience. The food was good but I'll get to that in a moment. I had been wanting to try this dining in the dark thing for a while because it just seemed very interesting but not for $100 =/ That is a bit steep for dinner that I can't even get to see. So, when Groupon had a deal for 50% off I jumped on it and I'm glad I did because it was definitely worth $50.
My friend and I arrived for our reservation and we were greeted by the host who sat us down at a waiting table and gave us menus so we could order our food before being escorted into the darkness.Once we were finished with that part we met our legally blind waitress, Margarita, and she guided us in to the dark room and sat us at our table. The walk in had me a bit anxious because it is definitely pitch black and we were connected hand to shoulder. We made a U shape journey, passing some poles, until we were seated at a table against the wall.
At first my eyes were playing tricks on me, I thought I was seeing movement and shadows but I really wasn't...I gave up trying to "see" and just enjoyed the experience. Margarita was very informative and was sure to let us know where our silverware was and would grab our hand to give us our drinks and guide us towards our food. I definitely stuck my fingers in the butter while reaching for a piece of bread but I knew sooner or later I was bound to fumble in the darkness.
The salad course was pretty successful, I managed to keep all the food on the plate and in my mouth unlike my friend. Apparently her salad ended up all over the table. Towards the end I just started scooping it with my hand...it's not like my table manners were being judged at this point. Before the entree we were surprised with a few mini appetizers. We weren't told what they were until we tasted them and took a guess, it was fun having to use all our other senses to figure it out. I'll keep it a mystery ;) I ordered the beef, sticky rice, and spinach. The filet mignon was pre-sliced but they included a steak knife just in case...I took the knife and set it far from me because I had visions of slicing my finger off =/ The food tasted good but something about not knowing how it looks makes me question cooking methods, presentation, sanitation...but hey, I didn't get food poisoning so it's all good. I will admit that some food didn't make it in my mouth right away. There was a bit of trail and error going on but after a few tries I had it down. The dessert was my favorite. I had the mango panacotta which was very rich in flavor and creamy. I licked the plate! Yes, I did!!
My friend and I dined for about 2+ hours and it was interesting to hear how much louder everyone in the restaurant got after a while. At first, I think everyone walks in and discusses how the atmosphere feels but after the novelty has worn off normal conversations begin to take place and the room is filled with laughter and day to day chit chat. My hearing was definitely on point due to my lack of eyesight and I would catch the most random sequence of words and just begin to laugh out loud...good thing they couldn't see me. It was funny to be in the middle of a sentence and Margarita, the waitress, would just start talking...made me wonder how long she had been standing there. Half the time I wouldn't know when she left. It was pretty funny. She was a wonderful waitress!
I think they should include an option to purchase a dvd of your dining experience. I would love to see how we looked trying to eat in the dark. Even having a conversation in the dark is interesting because I'm sure I wasn't looking into my friends eyes and really I was leaned up against the wall twirling my hair because she couldn't see me so it wasn't rude. Night vision cameras would make for pure comedy!
If we had paid full price our bill would have been $220. I don't think this experience is worth that much BUT I do think everyone should try it once. I had a good time.Listed in: I Speak Americano
-
Review from Mary Q.
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is all about the experience, which it provides well. After all, you're going to eat in the dark, not eat the best food in the city! However, the food was still decently good. Nothing I'd pay $99 or even $49 for normally, but because of the experience, I felt it was well worth my $49 Groupon.
When you first go in through the wooden door, there's another door inside that made me wonder if we had arrived in the right place. It was a plain white door that looked like it could be a service door. Luckily, going through that brought you to the bar/lounge area and not the kitchen like I half-expected. We were seated in one of the booth areas to choose our food before entering the dining room.
We then met Margarita, our waitress, who led us inside the pitch black room to eat. All the waiters are visually impaired, which adds to the ambiance. Margarita snapped her fingers a few times, using echolocation to make sure we didn't bump into anyone. I wonder how effective that is since I certainly can't do it! She guided us through our meal, letting us know when food was coming and making sure we felt where the plates, glasses, and silverware were.
At first my eyes had residual light and trying to see only gave me a headache. Once we started eating and talking, I was distracted and stopped following the lights my eyes thought they could see. The bread was nice and soft, as was the butter, setting the meal off to a good start. I had the salmon, which was cooked well and not too dry . My boyfriend got the filet mignon, which he said was also cooked well (though he wanted more meat).
We got some appetizers that we couldn't quite identify - I'm pretty sure there was mashed potatoes, but we couldn't decide what the chilled soup thing in the shot glass tasted like. Some sort of seafood maybe? We both got the chocolate lava cake for dessert, which was pretty tasty but nothing special. I enjoyed finding the raspberry and strawberry along the way.
One thing about eating in the dark is that you never know what you'll get a mouthful of. I thought I'd be getting a piece of salmon only to find that I had gotten some of the rice or veggies, so every mouthful was an adventure! Also, I'm not sure if my hearing got more acute or I was imagining it, but I felt like noises were louder.
All in all it was fun to finally try out this experience, but once is enough. If you've never been, it's definitely recommended to make for a unique meal. -
Review from Hailey L.
Pasadena, CA
2/6/2012
I came here after being told about it from a date and though it would be a very unique experience.
The experience was unique indeed. Fun environment and glad I tried it.
The restaurant is located inside a club, V Lounge.
When you first arrive and check-in with the host that is set-up inside the club, but outside the restaurant, they will hand you a menu. This is when you decide what items you would like for your three course meal, a salad, and entrée, and a dessert. This is also the time that you want to place your drink orders.
When it was time for us to be seated, our server (all the servers are blind) will come out from behind the curtain, she asked for me to put my right hand on her right shoulder and my date to put his right hand on my right shoulder to form a chain to walk to our table.
We are led through the curtains and take several turns before we reach our table. When we get there, our server takes my hand to show me where my chair is and where the silverwares are located on the table.
At first, I was a little nervous, however, after a while, I was able to relax and actually enjoy the experience. Because the room is dark (yes, very very dark, you will not even be able to see your hands... even if you hold it out in front of your face) you will be able to use your other senses to listen to conversations around you and your sense of taste when eating your food.
Come here for the experience, not the food. The food was not great, but I enjoyed experiencing eating in the dark. It is a lot harder than it seems. Many times, I thought I had food on my fork, but when I went to put it in my mouth, nothing... after a while, I gave up and started to use my hands.
TIP: leave the cell phone off, don't ruin the experience for yourself or others... girl: leave your purse at home or in the trunk of your car.
OVERALL: fun experience, come here with someone that you can actually enjoy a good conversation with, but the food is not worth the price. -
Review from Jason K.
1/20/2012
My wife and I went here for the first time on a Thursday night. I've been wanting to go for a long time; since my friend went back when Opaque was in West Hollywood. We parked behind the V lounge after finally finding it (that was a little tricky for me) and made our way inside.
As to be expected, the lounge was completely empty, but there were a couple of hostesses at a table next to the bar and a group of people in one of the side tables looking over the menus before going inside. We were escorted to a neighboring table after checking in and given our menus. We looked over them, placed our orders, and were brought over to a back door that lead into the restaurant.
The hostess introduced us to our server for the evening, a visually impaired or blind individual named Beatrice. She instructed us to form a chain by putting one hand on the shoulder of the person in front with her leading the way. We wound our way through a U-turn hallway and wound up in the dining room, all the while being lead blindly through pitch black.
Somehow we made our way to the table and were able to sit down. We were brought our drinks while we listened to other tables having fun conversations as if the absence of light was nothing new. We spoke to each other too, but mainly indicating what we were doing as we tried to eat bread (I dipped by fingers in the butter...twice), drink our wine, find our silverware, etc. It was a lot of fun.
The meal started with an amuse buche. A cherry tomato stuffed with goat cheese. The bread was nice and soft and butter was salty and smooth. The salads were really tasty. Great ingredients with a wonderful balance of flavors. The next part involved a special platter with three mystery items with a common ingredient. I won't give away what it was, but they each had a different flavor aspect and texture which was really neat to experience when it was all a mystery.
Next, our entrees were brought out. Both of us got the filet mignon (which is pre-sliced, but still comes with a steak knife), topped with garlic and roasted peppers, a side of cooked spinach, and sticky rice cooked with chicken broth. The steak was really good. Well prepared to be tender with a slightly crispy outside and very well seasoned. The spinach I could have done without. Asparagus or broccoli would have been a better choice I think. The sticky rice was good and matched well with the other items on the plate. There was a decent amount of food too, which is always a plus when paying $100/person.
Lastly we were served our chocolate lava cake. It was a little on the dark side of the chocolate spectrum (I'm more of a milk chocolate guy myself), but still good when combined with the whipped cream, fresh berries, and fudgy sauce in the center. A nice way to complete the meal.
In the end, it was an expensive meal but it was a crazy experience. One that is definitely a treat for special occasions, but worth going at least once. I found the food to be good and filling enough to justify the costs when paired with fantastic service and an awesome time trying something new.
Summary: A great thing to try at least once for a special occasion. Parking is free in the back. It is over priced, but the service (blind or visually impaired), deserves it and the food is pretty darn good. It's not the most tasty meal in the world, but where else can you do it in complete darkness without hurting yourself? I recommend it. -
Review from LUBY H.
1/16/2012
For me, this was a cross between a 3-4 star.
I would give 4 star due to it's ambiance and experience, but 3 stars for the food.
I think if you are looking for something refreshing and unique, I would really recommend Opaque because it's something that you have probably never tried, and will never experience again. But if you are looking for a decent dinner, then, save your bucks, because the food isn't exactly tasty in my opinion.
After arrival, you are greeted by a server at what seems like a bar, which made it a little confusing actually. I wasn't exactly sure if I was at the right place until the server explained with the menu that you pick your set course outside and dine in the dark inside. Each sets per person are about $100, so be prepared. Oh, and you are asked to throw everything that is lit in a secured compartment at the check-in desk, to ensure that there is absolutely no lighting inside the dining area. (watches, phones, ipads, and etc)
Once you pick your course, a gentleman kindly asks you to put your hand on his shoulder, and leads you to the designated table. (Our server told us that they are actually all blind, but I wasn't exactly sure if that was true or not) From there, the server introduces himself and starts bringing you the items on your set course.
Bread: Your are given rolls with butter. The best part is, whenever the server comes, he would say "Henry is here" so you know that he's here with your menu items. Then he would ask for your hand, and usually this takes a while because you aren't exactly sure where he is. Finally when your hands meet, you grab the basket of bread and then communicate that to the others at the table, and struggle buttering the bread and passing the bread to other diners in your group. I actually started buttering my own hand without knowing.
Salad: The salad already came with dressing, making it a little easier to eat than the bread that you had to butter. It was just regular salad greens with dressing, nothing special.
Main Course: What I ordered was the steak, and that was decent. It wasn't $100 delicious, but again, you are paying for the experience not the food. It steak had vegetables and mashed potatoes on the side wish complemented nicely. I had a hard time putting my A1 steak sauce on the steak though. It poured all over the plate and my vegetables and mashed potatoes ended up tasting very A1-ish.
Dessert: Chocolate cake. Nothing special. Wasn't a dessert that you would crave afterwards or make the meal extremely memorable, but it was decent again.
Overall, it's a great place for an expensive date, maybe a valentine's date where you want a little more excitement in your dining experience. Or a date with you spouse to just really kick it up to the next notch. I feel like due to the fact that this meal requires a lot of communication and partnership to hand food to each other and feed each other, you really do experience a type of intimacy you cant find elsewhere. -
Review from Robert O.
Northridge, CA
2/7/2012
I do not know where to begin when talking about my Dinner in the dark at Opaque in Santa Monica. I have to admit I was nervous about the whole thing after all dining in complete darkness was a different experience. First you walk into a bar and you are presented with a menu and you chose a salad, entrée, and dessert. You chose what you want and then after you order you are walked into complete darkness holding onto the right shoulder of the person in front of you. You are led to your table and the waiter explains to you and shows you where everything it going to be on your table
I chose the mixed green salad with a ginger vinaigrette, pears, walnuts, and blue cheese. I know you may thing salads are easy but it was one of the best salads I ate. When it came to the entrée I was kind of hesitant because I wanted steak and the whole idea of cutting steak in total and complete darkness was kind of scary. None the less I ordered the Filet with buttery rice, bell peppers, and spinach. The steak was precut for me which was a big relief. It was tender and cooked perfectly; I knew you are wondering how I know it was cooked perfectly. I could taste the meat; it was a perfect medium rare. I also can tell that it was cooked then it was allowed to rest before it was sliced which is why it was so juicy. I have to admit that although I was supplied with a knife and a fork I ate mostly with my hands. (Trust me no one noticed) For dessert I chose a chocolate cake ... it was rich, decadent and served with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I even managed to make it through all the way to dessert without getting something on my shirt and it complete darkness that was a great feet.
I have to tell you that I have never had another experience like this. Our waiter James offered us great service and a friendly outgoing attitude it was and is a something I plan on doing again and soon! -
Review from April P.
Santa Monica, CA
12/11/2011
First of all, I am not a critic to just go giving 1 stars out "blindly". If you get that joke, you're in the right place!
As the reviews before me were pretty accurate in describing the scope of the place, I'll just skip to the good part and describe the food & final verdict , which is what any yelper is searching for right? (I might add, this place IS located inside V-lounge....which most closely resembles a shitty MiamiBeach Nightblub at best) .
Opaque actually earned 1 star from us because there was only 1 good thing about the place - the Heirloom Tomato Salad. This is the first item served on the pre-fixed meal option. Our second choice (we BOTH chose the filet) was so sad. The meat cut was terrible and the temperature was cold...even if you sear food it's not supposed to actually come out like it was sitting in the refrigerator (we like our steak Med). That dish was paired with absolutely tasteless spinach with no salt (good luck finding any on the table) and bland sticky rice which was also cool to the touch. The mango brulee and choco lava cake for dessert was great ....but nothing you couldn't pick up at Albertson's for $5.50 and smack some ice cream on top for about an extra $1.
We actually LOVE spending money...on ridiculous things, and for well-deserved meals.......but in this case (even with the Groupon), SAVE YOUR MONEY. If you want to eat in the dark, put some tomatoes in a bowl with blue cheese and turn off the lights. The night was $200, this was the discounted rate. A dinner for 2 will easily run you $300 without the Groupon - OK for Cut or Culina in B Hills.....not okay for $3.99 cold cuts of chewy steak and rude valet (not included in tab above).
Sorry & disappointed to leave such a sad review , we had higher expectations! But definitely a once in a lifetime experience....emphasis on the once. -
Review from Amber G.
Encino, CA
11/15/2011
My husband had wanted to try this place for a while so when we saw it on Groupon, we went for it. We went with another couple and it was nice that they let all four of us use our Groupons at the same time.
First, the experience of dining in the dark was really cool. It puts you in a vulnerable situation because you really can't see a damn thing in there and you feel a bit clumsy fiddling around for utensils, drinks, etc. But I kinda got the hang of it throughout dinner and it was fun to make fun of ourselves throughout the night.
Like others have said, make sure you go with people who you know well or who are good conversationalists because there's something about not being able to see anything that makes it necessary to converse more. We went with really good friends and we had a great time.
Food was pretty good. The salads were awesome. The girls had the vegetarian pasta and we loved it. The guys had the filet and did not like it much. They said sticky rice was great but meat was low quality. Desserts were pretty good -- I think I'd recommend the lava cake over anything else. Our server was great. Very friendly and told us a bit about the restaurant and the events they do, etc.
Even with the Groupon for $49 per person (regularly $99), it was pricey. No drinks were included so we had to pay for those -- sodas were $3 and beers were $6 I think. We had to pay tax on the full/regular price of the meal (about $30 per couple) plus tip on the full price of the meal (about $40 a couple). So each couple ended up spending close to $200 after all was said and done. It would have been an additional $100 if we didn't have the Groupon so I highly suggest you wait to try it until you can get a deal. Our server told us they do a Groupon about once a year and you can also find them on http://restaurant.com sometimes.
It was worth it for the experience but it will probably be just a one-time thing for us. -
Review from Karine R.
Burbank, CA
1/30/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Opaque is a good concept for Braille Institute clients and the community becaouse it emphasizes independence and being a productive memeber of society and also the concept was to teach the world about blindness, how people live and eat.
-
Review from Awkward A.
Los Angeles, CA
11/19/2011
So not worth it.
I got a deal for $100 for 2 people (normally $200). And it still wasn't worth it. The food was okay, not great. I felt very rushed. Wish there was more interaction between us and our server.
My seared tuna was lukewarm. Maybe so we don't burn ourselves? Still, not impressed. My friend went a year before me and totally agreed on the food.
But they had a way better experience with the server. He brought out a bag of items and made them guess what they were. He talked with them, how they were feeling.
I want to recommend you try it for the experience. But I can't at the current price point. It's just not worth it. I definitely wouldn't go again. -
Review from Linda C.
10/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I originally had set reservations for 2, little did I know, it would really be for 3! ....
We started by going into the black building / club where they seat you in a 'waiting area' to browse the menu and order your entire meal. Once you've ordered they call your waiter through their headsets and he comes to meet you and guides you into the dark dining room. All the waiters are visually impaired..... and when they guide you past those black curtains... you see NOTHING! We were hands on shoulders lined up and following the person in front of us. It was totally black.
Once seated, be careful what u say cuz u never know when your waiter is present or not.... Hence our dinner for 3.... Since we were there earlier it wasn't as busy and our waiter basically sat at the table beside us (quiet) without telling us until we were wondering how to call him over... then he spoke and shocked us cuz he was RIGHT beside us the whole time listening and so we were hoping we didn't say anything bad about him!!!! haha. As it got busier, of course he wasn't around as much.
Be careful your movements as well, cuz a couple times I didn't know he was beside me and I would turn and accidentally bump into his arm (?! at least I HOPE it was his arm ?! haha j/k!!).
Food is not spectacular... you go for the 'experience'... I had lots of troubles cutting my steak (even tho it's already pre cut for you) but I like smaller pieces so I was trying to cut the already cut pieces and it was hard. Sometimes I had to resort to using my fingers to find the food on my plate... so make sure your hands are clean!
At first, I kept my eyes opened trying to see if I could focus on something...anything, but then they felt strained so I closed them and ate my dinner with my eyes closed! hahaha. My eyes were just starving for something visual.... and one fun thing that we discovered was the static spark from rubbing the napkin to the table cloth. Normally you probably wouldn't notice such a nominal thing but in a pitch black room it was pure excitement for my eyes! -
Review from Kevin C.
Boston, MA
9/12/2011
Maybe I'm a cynic who has lost all capacity to discover the wonder in the simple things in life, but eating in the dark strikes me as a pointless gimmick designed to attract uppity foodies who walk out and are too embarrassed to point out how fucking stupid the whole thing was, thus perpetuating the myth that this place is worth anybody's attention at all.
Our server, Mike, was great. He was friendly, outgoing, and apparently going into real estate. I know this because for the last ten minutes of our dinner, he sat somewhere to my right and told us about himself. While this would normally be off-putting in a romantic dinner setting, I found it a welcome relief to the alternative, which was to bang my fucking fork against my plate for the 20804820493720th time in search of that last bit of cake and make that excruciating scraping sound, which, by the way, is the soundtrack that accompanies dinner at this place.
I have functioning eyes. I have a tendency to keep them open - I find it facilitates matters. While not technically necessary for tasting food, I find that sight helps me figure out where the FUCK THE BREAD IS ON THE TABLE and that knocking over water glasses and punching table decorations on accident, shockingly, detracts from that whole experience of FINDING AND EATING BREAD.
The food was great, and I really mean it. The filet mignon was very well cooked, the amuse bouche was fun, and the desserts were very decadent. It really says a lot about how fucking annoyed I was at having to grope my way through dinner that I gave this place 2 stars.
There are better and cheaper steakhouses. Go there instead, unless you really want to see for yourself how obnoxious it is to accidentally touch butter, or exactly how long you can sit through dinner before forgoing the idea of silverware entirely and just grabbing that last piece of steak with your fucking hand and grumpily putting it in your mouth. -
Review from Lisa T.
San Diego, CA
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Worth a try but unlikely that I would return.
Opaque is located inside V Lounge, so when you're looking for the restaurant, look for V Lounge. Opaque is towards the back to the right of the bar, and there are lounges available and are considered the "waiting area". You choose your starter, main course, and dessert in the waiting area. One of the hostesses will take your order and call over a visually-impaired person to guide you through the back door and into the dark, pitch black dining area. There's a small step at the entrance, but they warn you about that beforehand.
The food was delicious! The mixed green salad was drenched in dressing, the way I like it! The salmon was well seasoned with only about 4 pieces of buttered vegetables and some sticky rice. The mango dessert was fluffy and pudding-like with pieces of mint and sliced strawberries. If I could, I'd order the food to go for a quarter of the price.
The experience is really who you're with. The party next to me was celebrating a birthday, so they were loud and enjoying themselves disregarding the "romantic" dining experience of those around them. Make sure you are comfortable with the person or people you're with, because even in the dark, awkward silences exist. -
Review from Johanna C.
Los Angeles, CA
4 stars for the experience of dining in the dark. yes, it's worth going at least once just to experience what's it's like and to see if your senses really are heightened however i would never go back again. they do a great job keeping the restaurant extremely dark.
BELOW AVERAGE FOOD (4/10 and the main reason i gave this place 2 stars): you pick from a prix-fixe menu and i choose the mixed green salad (which was WAY overdressed), filet mignon (probably the best of all the other options), and lava cake (it was cold and i ended up eating it like a brownie with my hands...lava cakes are supposed to be HOT & gooey with chocolate goodness).
EXPENSIVE: we brought a groupon so we paid $50/person however without a groupon it cost $99/person which is suchhhhh a rip-off!!!
SERVICE: service is slow and you feel really helpless most of the time since you cant see so it would have been nice if the waiter gave us some more attn.
LOUD: they play really loud music, your sense of sounce is heightened, and youre sitting really close to the table next to you...all making for a very loud & crowded night for me :\. -
Review from Hiram M.
Marina del Rey, CA
8/26/2011
Warning -- do not come here if you have even the slightest dislike of the person you're dining with because you're gonna have to get close....really close, really fast!
The experience can make you feel claustrophobic or even nauseating if you're the type of person that always like to be in control (like myself). But after you relax and just engage yourself in the other 4 senses, the vision 'impairment' is easy to overcome. I'd say the key to a good experience is to have the following:
a) a decent conversationalist dining with you -- or else it's just you and the darkness
b) the ability to eavesdrop on other people's conversation or willingness to make outlandish statements publicly -- neither parties will be able to tell who said what without a face to match so it's that much more fun
c) if your dining mate is so inclined -- PDA suddenly takes on a whole new meaning when you can (comfortably) drop the P...
As for the food, I'm not sure if the complaints are founded. The salad appetizers were prepared exactly as specified (without being over-dressed). For the main course, I ordered the filet and she ordered the pasta for which both were prepared pretty nicely. Since we were slightly rushed through dessert (being the last 2 diners in the place), it wasn't the most memorable experience but wasn't bad either.
Experience: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5 (our waiter was really helpful and friendly) -
Review from Annabelle C.
Van Nuys, CA
10/25/2011
Thank goodness Grape S and I had a Groupon that shaved off $50 a piece. We liked our salads (Mixed Green Salad and Heirloom Tomato Cucumber Salad) but everything else was very disappointing (Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Rigatoni, Filet Mignon, Mango Panna Cotta [more jello than panna cotta] & Warm Chocolate Lava Cake [more clumped up pudding than lava cake]).
Definitely an experience that I can say I've tried but won't be returning. For that price, I could go to much better Michelin restaurants. -
Review from Dawn K.
7/20/2011 Seated via OpenTable
NOpaque. I've been putting this review off forever, because I would get so annoyed just thinking about this portal to culinary hell! Even with the Groupon, it was not worth the price (about $80 per person with tax + tip).
This is their genius concept: heighten your senses by getting rid of one you heavily rely on: your sight.
So here's the drill: you look at the menu before you enter, order, make a train with your server who leads you to your table.
When I got in, I groped their furniture, curious in what they would furnish this experience with. It's those... $15 chairs with metal legs and handle on the back with (probably magenta) cushion. Their choice of chair defeats their entire concept of the restaurant! Isn't touch another sense that should be 'heightened' since I just paid you to sit in the dark like an idiot?
As for the food, I ordered the house salad, ahi tuna w/ sticky rice, and the lava cake.
The salad was WAY overdressed- I think they were cheating the whole concept of 'heightening" your other senses by putting more salt on everything.
Oh, also- I put something in my mouth the size of half a banana that had the consistency of a steamed cabbage without the veins (?) I honestly wish I could make a time machine, go back to that moment where I could take that clump of ????? out of my mouth and into my purse so I could see what it was when I got out!
The ahi tuna was sad. The texture, flavor, nothing. Not worth getting into- just don't order it. My friend got the steak. It's tough and chewy- don't order that either.
The dessert was the best part of the entire meal. But how could you go wrong with that much dark chocolate + whipped cream? You could drizzle that shit on a boot and I would probably enjoy it if I were blindfolded.
Conclusion: stay away. Neither worth the time nor money. If you REALLY want that 'dining in the dark' experience, I'll replicate that same experience for you for half the price. Honestly, stay far away.
Epilogue: Food is a visu-fucking-al experience. Why do you think 'presentation' is worth 25% in the judging criteria in Iron Chef? It's not rocket science, people. Good food is good (which is totally irrelevant to NOpaque), but when it's beautiful too, it's magic. -
Review from Clelia E.
Los Angeles, CA
The idea is interesting and that's why we went.
Dinning in pitch black after the experience is not what I prefer and the dinner is definitely not worth $99 a person without counting drinks, tax and tips.
The room is located behind a club which host a lot of events so instead of having quiet and conversational dinner, you have to listen to music you don't necessarily care about.
While walking behind the server, we could feel even in the dark the poor quality of the chairs and how poorly executed the area was, again not worth the $99/person.
Would I go back? No. Would I recommend it? Maybe if you're looking to experience something different. -
Review from J G.
Culver City, CA
7/28/2011
Positives first: From the person who took our reservation and bent over backwards to accommodate us, to the hostess who prepared us, to the server who took us through the experience, the night was pretty fun. I truly enjoyed the people running the show, and I wanted so badly to love everything else.
Unfortunately: I don't care what the gimmick is, you can't charge $100 a plate and serve food that is sub par. I mean, were they cooking in the dark, too? My salad was over-dressed, and the ubiquitous sticky rice that came with all but 1 of the offerings on the price fix menu tasted suspiciously like uncle Bens. In addition to their rather odd and unsuccessful choice of starch, there was absolutely nothing original about the menu; I was hoping for a culinary adventure at least slightly as interesting as the experience of eating in the dark. Dishes were boring and completely uninspired. Trendy or not, food at that price should be excellent. I didn't need the lights to know that the amuse bouche was nothing more than a cherry tomato stuffed with plain goat cheese, and that was insulting to more than just my checkbook.
It's too bad. My boyfriend said on our way home that he thought the owners of this restaurant had come up with the idea of dining in the dark, slapped each other five, and proceeded to completely forget about everything that would be integral to the experience. I mean, wine in a plastic cup but water in glass? Nothing served that was actually meant to be eaten with your hands? Turning the lights off just made me more aware of the fact that I didn't like the food I was putting in my mouth, and that the experience of doing so was more frustrating than fun. In fact, there was one point in the evening when our server brought us a bag of items to identify by touch, and it was great! Why didn't they do that with the FOOD instead?!
In conclusion: great concept, poorly executed. When we left, I felt deeply sorry we had not spent the money eating at one of this city's much finer establishments, where the chef would have been trained and inspired, and the food would have mattered at all to the people in charge. 2 starts for the service and the concept. If I want a repeat, I'll just blindfold myself and eat somewhere else. -
Review from Ivy K.
Santa Monica, CA
7/10/2011
I bought a Groupon so the price for two people was only $99 instead of $200. I would've been sorely disappointed if I'd paid full price, but $99 was do-able.
The boy and I arrived early and were greeted kind of coldly by an Asian waitress who later warmed up and ended up being sweet after all. We were given menus and directed on how to choose from the prix fixe options by a friendly Aussie girl. I decided to order the tomato and mozzarella salad starter, the ahi tuna entree, and the mango panna cotta dessert. The boy ordered the same starter, filet mignon entree, and chocolate lava cake for dessert.
We were led to our table by our blind server, Michael. We put our a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us and walked into COMPLETE DARKNESS. I couldn't tell the difference between closing and opening my eyes, there wasn't a glimmer of light ANYWHERE and it was pretty freaky and disorienting at first. I kinda got dizzy and ended up closing my eyes through most of the meal since it was the same as opening them anyway.
Michael helped orient us once we were seated by taking our hands and showing us where the bread basket, drink glass, plate and utensils are. We started with an amuse bouche in a soup spoon which the boy identified as a cherry tomato with some sort of cheese in it.
The salad was very tasty and I ended up just eating everything with my hands instead of stabbing away aimlessly with my fork. It was fun and I don't think I dropped anything on myself. At the end, I picked up the plate and licked it clean just because I could - First time I've done that in any restaurant, hah! It was very satisfying.
Next course: I liked my ahi steak better than the boy's filet mignon (which was NOT high quality meat by any means - definitely not filet mignon!). The ahi was prepared nicely with a yummy sauce. Slightly above average food, definitely not worth $100 per plate, but then again you're paying for the experience as a whole.
Dessert was the most disappointing course of the whole meal. Neither dessert we ordered was very good. Boo.
Our server Michael was awesome! We had the chance to chat with him a bit and he explained that he went blind from glaucoma in his mid-20's. He said that since then, he's done & accomplished more than he ever did with sight. "I went from sitting down doing nothing to getting my broker's license, riding in a hot air balloon & vowing to meet 10 new people every day! Going blind was a blessing, now I really appreciate life." Now THAT'S a positive attitude!
I'd give the experience of eating in complete darkness 4 stars, the actual food 3 stars, and the service 5 stars. Definitely worth doing at least once, have fun! -
Review from Nick R.
Los Angeles, CA
11/18/2011
Wow, where to begin. My girlfriend and I bought half-price Groupons to this place thinking we were going to be "abandoning vision in exchange for a new, multi-sensual dining experience" as the website claims. Man were we duped. What we ended up abandoning was our sanity and $50 - still way too much for the quality of the food and service. $100 is a truly absurd price to pay for that sorry excuse for a 3-course dinner, as was the $50. There are innumerable restaurants in LA that you will have a better experience at and that cost less.
The biggest problem is that Opaque is unbelievably understaffed. They had one...yes...ONE person busing and waiting on the ENTIRE dining room. He was completely overwhelmed and was unable to effectively do his job. He consistently forgot things, misunderstood our orders, and was generally absent for most of the night. One problem with dining in a pitch black room with a blind person as your server is that you are unable to ask for anything or remind anyone to get you anything until the person happens to stop by your table. This proved to be extremely irritating.
The dining room was filled with the WORST possible combination of loud, immature, and obnoxious people. Every ten minutes was another rendition of Happy Birthday or a random scream-fest at the loudest possible decible level, (which really was a big help to our sensory experience). For the price of admission to this place, everything just needed to be more upscale - instead it felt like we were at the local Applebee's after the big high school football game. There was no sense of sophistication or decorum.
I'm usually a very easy going person, but this place truly tested my patience. Everything about it seemed lazy, uninspired, and generally uninterested in our well-being. When we left, the hostesses were cold and ungrateful for our business and only seemed to care about collecting our money.
The last thing I was will say, is if you absolutely must try this place (and I seriously implore you not to), then I truly hope your experience is 100 times better than ours. -
Review from Ali Y.
Simi Valley, CA
6/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's hard to describe the experience of eating in complete darkness...
Groupon had a deal for Opaque that was $100 meal for 2 rather than the normal $200. It looked like a cool place and thought it would be different so we decided to buy the Groupon. We finally decided to use it last night.
You walk in and it's a little confusing because the front of the facility is a lounge at night. But then towards the back, you see the hostess. After checking in, they give you the menu and sit you in a booth to figure out what you want to eat for dinner. The dinner comes with a salad, entree, and dessert. My wife and I both chose the mixed green salad with a vinaigrette dressing a blue cheese. For the entree, I got the herb roasted chicken and she got the filet mignon. For dessert, we both chose the warm lava cake.
After choosing your dinner, your server, who is blind, comes out and form a chain putting your hand on the shoulder of the person in front of you. As you walk into the room, you really realize that it is completely dark. The server guides you to the table, sits you in your chair and explains what you will find on the table.
To be honest, it was extremely weird at first. You really expect that after your eyes adjust, that you may be able to see something, but you can't. And then your mind starts playing tricks, and you think you can see stuff, but you actually can't. It was really trippy. But once you start eating, then it becomes fun and you kind of get the hang of it.
The server brought us our bread and explained that there was a dish of butter inside the bread basket. Well, my hand went straight into the butter on more than one occasion. Then buttering your bread is another experience. One time, I didn't get any butter on the knife, and another time I got way too much butter.
After the bread, we got our salad which was one of the harder items to eat because you couldn't tell if you were getting anything with your fork. The wife gave up and just started eating with her hands, which the server said happens a lot. I used more of a shoveling method with the fork and my mouth, hoping to get some food in there. I actually enjoyed the salad. The dressing was really nice and everything tasted good together. The entree was easier to eat because you could feel the food coming onto the fork. As far as the flavor, the sticky rice that came with both of our entrees was good, but the chicken and steak both were pretty average. The dessert was average as well.
After we finished our meal, our waiter led us out and it felt really weird seeing light again. It takes a few minutes for your eyes to readjust.
Eating in complete darkness also changes the way you use your other senses. It was amazing how much more your could hear around you (a lot more eavesdropping going on) and how your taste changes when it comes to the food. Plus, you aren't distracted with things like phones, since you turn it off when you walk in.
Now seeing that we paid $100 for the 2 of us, it was a good experience. But I can't see paying $200 for the same meal. For that much money, I would expect much better food. You can only put so much value on the experience, and $100 per person is too much to pay for that with the quality of food that is served. But I have to go off of how much I paid for the meal, and at $50 a person, it isn't bad and would recommend it if you can get it for that price. -
Review from Allison C.
Sacramento, CA
6/8/2011
As a visual person, dining at Opaque was hard to get used to at first. I MUST see what I'm eating and I adore food photography almost as much as eating itself.
With that said, the first course was a bit of a challenge. While the heirloom tomato salad was refreshingly tasty, it was rather difficult to eat with utensils unless you are comfortable stabbing your plate to death. When our server took our plates, I placed my hand on the table and felt all of the tomatoes I had slid off my plate in an attempt to scoop it onto my fork. But, I will say my salad was better than the mixed greens!
We both ordered the "flilet mignon" as our entree. You can definitely tell it was not filet mignon (nice try, Opaque!), but still a delicious cut. The steak was cooked to perfection and more than satisfied my taste buds. However, it would be nice if they cut it into pieces all the way. I still had to rip apart the pieces, which was a bit of a challenge, given the lack of sight.
Ah, the dessert. The mango panna cotta is what stood out the most, and I will always compare any other panna cotta I may try to this one. As a chocolate fiend, I would have never expected to prefer a fruity dessert over the chocolate cake dessert, but I swear anything tastes better with some ripe mango on top!
All in all, a fun, unique experience sorta worth trying once--though, I've had better food. Seriously, don't eat here full price unless you have money to throw away. With $200, you can get a 3 or 4 course meal elsewhere + a wine pairing!
Survival Tips:
1. Wear dark colors. While this may seem like a given, it slipped my mind while getting ready. Chocolate cake + cream colored top = Sloppy Jane.
2. The doorman is blind, so don't even bother asking him if you could park in front of the building. Total faux pas on our part!
3. Get both desserts and ask to split them so you can try both. My dining mate and I mastered switching plates to try each other's meal, but splitting ensured proper proportions.
4. Do not eat here unless you have a Groupon-like deal. Just eat a gourmet meal in your coat closet with the lights off--same sh_t! -
Review from John L.
Los Angeles, CA
8/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
As stated by others, the point of going to a place like this is for the experience. I definitely think it's something everyone should try. I must admit I was a bit uncomforable and uneasy at first, but after a while you just settle in.
I don't know if it's the placebo effect or what but the food was amazingly good, from the 1st the the last course.
But would I ever go back? Probably not, the experience is NOT worth $100 a person. The only reason I tried it out was due to a deal on groupon for half off.
Another gripe I had about the place was the god awful smell of the rags. You can hear the bus boys doing their thing and wiping the finished tables around you, and man that smell permeated through my entire dining area. By the way, even though you can't see anything you can tell you're seated pretty close to everyone else, so not much for private conversations. -
Review from Smitcha B.
Los Angeles, CA
5/24/2011
It's definitely not an average Monday night meal. Besides, I think they only offer this Thurs-Sat evenings by reservations only. I was waiting for the right occasion to try this dining in the dark experience. I called the 1800# and made the reservations for a Friday evening at 7:30pm. It's weird that it is located in the back of a club, V Lounge. I've actually been there before for the club itself so it was different walking through the empty place. They had us sit in one of the booths where you would normally get table service before entering the dark room. Here, we were introduced to the concept and to the pre fixe three course menu. You're order is taken here as well as your drinks.
Soon through the dark curtains appears your server who is either completely or partially blind. Our server's name was Frank/Francisco and he was very kind, attentive, and later on during our meal sat down near us to talk to us about our experience and our food. I was inclined to say certain things because I didn't want to offend the guy such as "Can you imagine eating like this forever?" Uhhh yeah, duh jerk.
You grab on your server's shoulder and each person will be in a single file line grabbing onto one another's shoulders as you are guided through the the dining room. You first make a S like turn through the walk way and enter the dark room where all you can do is use your hearing skills as well as sense of feel. Your server will sit you down carefully at your table and soon after your food will arrive.
You will try your hardest to adapt to your new surroundings. Don't fight it, you won't and shouldn't see any glimpse of light. Your eyes will not adjust. Even navy seals would fail in this dark room with their night vision goggles. Just relax, breathe normally, and await your food. My watch has illuminated stuff on it so I placed it in my pocket, no cheating, no help.
Challenge one is pretty much learning the lay out of your table, silverware, drink glasses, plates, and oh yeah, the bread and butter. No need to get fancy, you can't be seen. I didn't both with the knife for the butter, I went with the dip technique. The bread was soft and warm and at times I think I had too much butter on it but that's my own bad.
I think the hardest dish to conquer was the first course, my tomato/cucumber salad. It's the first dish you're trying to use your silverware with and it's darn slippery! Try the stab technique, the push and pull, the swirl until you're lucky, and lastly if all fails, use your hands. The salad was tasty and I wished I had more of it.
For my main course, I opted with the seared ahi tuna steak while she rolled with the filet mignon. Everything comes pre-cut to make your life easier. They do you a favor and do not serve you long grain rice. Instead you are given chicken broth sticky rice which was the shizzle. I want your recipe! As you know, sticky rice obviously sticks together so it's easier to scoop up. Both our dishes were suprisingly great. If you can't finish it, they will happily to go it for you.
For desert we tried the mango panna cotta and the warm chocolate lava cake. I had the latter and my first bite was straight up of the mint leaf. Instead of spitting it out, I just kept chewing. Doh, there goes the garnish (They do try to make it look decent even in pitch blackness). The greatest thing about my dessert was trying to guess the different fruits in it. Frank kept saying, "No, it's not that. Keep guessing." Although it was rich, the fruits helped balanced the chocolate.
Although this experience isn't exactly wallet friendly, it's about $100 per person not including drinks, I believe it was something that people should open up to. Not only will you have a better understanding about people with disabilities but you will also learn to lose one of your precious senses and rely on your others. You will have to hone into your target with everything else but your eye sight. Also, for some reason it seemed like this experience made our taste buds more appealing to what we were eating. Not saying the food wasn't great because it was, but it dining in the darkness felt like it enhanced our meal.
In the end, they will bring you a bowl of water ot wash your hands in for those of you who said f it and went hands on. Tip your servers well, they work really hard. Don't mind the snapping when you're eating either, that's their way to warn each other that traffic is coming through. Also, don't try to be that loud and annoying group just because people can't see you. You're still a certified moron when you walk back outside. You'll pay for the tab and handle the tip back outside in the lounge area.
Good luck. -
Review from Jason C.
La Canada Flintridge, CA
7/5/2011
Firstly, thank you to my wonderful GF for purchasing a Groupon for this. 'Tis no woman better than the one I got. :)
Opaque, for the vast range of its concept, is fairly easy to evaluate. It is indeed dark as the night itself, yet I felt did not fully realize the potential of such a concept.
Here is the skinny - $200 bucks (with Groupon: 10 bucks for tax and tip comes to about $44 bucks. Food was ok.)
We ordered two dinners - the first being Mixed Greens, Seared Ahi Tuna Steak, and Mango Panna Cotta and the second being Heirloom Tomatoes and Cucumber Salad, Filet Mignon, and Chocolate Lava Cake. All were OK, but nothing more than that. I felt with such a dark setting, that the touch of the food and smell would have a bit more depth. Fun idea - just nothing noteworthy all around.
OK dinner, GREAT company. -
Review from Erica M.
Los Angeles, CA
5/27/2011
It has taken me a few months to write this review because the experience was so unusual I just didn't know how to synthesize it. Here's my best effort. I went with a friend on a Friday night in April.
Objective Description: You are greeted outside of V Lounge, the bar that houses Opaque, by a blind doorman. He escorts you into the dimly lit bar where you make a temporary stop to order from a prix fixe menu. When we arrived around 7, there was no one in the bar. After that, the hostess introduces you to your server, who is blind, and the server leads you into the pitch-black dining room, your hand on her shoulder. She seats you, talking and guiding you through where everything is located (e.g., "I'm putting your hand on your chair, do you feel it? Your chair is to your right.") She does this throughout the meal as she brings the various courses. You carry out the entire meal in complete darkness, call your server's name when you're ready to go, and are escorted back out to the V Lounge to pay and depart.
Subjective Assessment: I didn't know what to expect from this experience. Would my other senses be heightened by not being able to see? Would it be magical? Would I be turned on? Well, let me tell you. Initially, after being seated in the dark for a few minutes, I had a mini-panic attack. I wasn't consciously afraid, but there was a physiological reaction of fear from being unable to see. That subsided in a few minutes.
Throughout the meal I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in a cave. I had the sense that the wall (we were seated next to the wall) curved into a low ceiling just overhead. It didn't really -- I felt above my head to determine that -- but it still felt like a confined space. Rose petals on the table were a nod to tactile pleasure, and they were oddly comforting. The rest of what I could touch was uninspiring -- metal framed chairs with pleather cushioning, a poly-blend tablecloth, a rough painted wall. My friend and I were seated across from each other and it was a platonic situation, but I don't know if the seating would have lent itself to lots of 'romantic' touching if it had been a date.
The auditory experience was...loud. Was my sense of hearing enhanced by my lack of vision? Or were the acoustics just terrible? I may never know. The dining room sounded quite full with what I guessed were 8-10 tables, and there was just a din of people talking. I actually had a headache when I left. It was also crowded -- I could feel people squeezing by and my chair was touching the chair behind me. Must have been a small room.
The food was honestly pretty tasty. I had a salad with pear and goat cheese, a parmesan-y pasta dish, and a mango pudding for dessert. In retrospect, I would have gotten the chocolate cake if I had it to do over. This wasn't finger food but rather fork-and-knife food, contributing to my overall sense that this experience was less about non-visual sensual pleasure and more about navigating a regular meal without eyesight.
My overall review: it was definitely interesting, but honestly...stressful. Stressful is how I'd describe it. Plus I can't get out of my head the last conversation I overheard before we left: A man was asking the server, 'So what do you do if someone spills something, how do you know?' The server was trying to reassure him that it would get cleaned up, but the man persisted. 'Really though? How could you clean it up in the dark?' Thus tapping into my worst germophobe fears, suppressed throughout the evening up to that point. EWWWWW! Thankfully it was time to leave after that. -
Review from Anh T.
Pasadena, CA
4/24/2011
This was the last stop for the grand "Fun & Spontaneous" day planned by my date. I was a little hesitant at first, thinking we were having drinks in an empty club at 8pm. I generally try to avoid the douche-y club crowds but this seemed a tad extreme. After some excited eyelash batting, the boy was able to drag a hostess over to explain the concept to me. A blind dinner? I was intrigued.
After ordering from a 3 course menu, the waitress led us to our table in a pitch black room. We were seated across the table from each other so I felt extra vulnerable and awkward. It was so dark I might as well have kept my eyes closed. The room was really loud, as the other diners tried to compensate their lack of vision with shouting matches. It's pretty smart for the owners when you think about it -- the room could be crawling with purple midgets, and no one would even notice.
Overall, the food was decent though not worth the hefty $99/person price tag...you're definitely paying for the unique experience. I ordered the heirloom tomato salad (tasty), veggie rotini pasta (salty), and chocolate lava cake (should have opted for the panna cotta). Wine is served in stemless glasses, and cucumbers hide the aftertaste of tap water.
I dipped my fingers in the butter (I hope) several times, ate salad with my hands, and almost stabbed the boy in the eye trying to feed him my pasta...I swear it was only pasta. A half hour later, I was too happy to bolt out of the room with half of my dinner on my shirt. Maybe my date was hoping that eating in the dark would be thrilling and sexy, but I was too busy wondering how I'd find the bathroom.
/bing bong -
Review from Megan Y.
Irvine, CA
11/13/2011
Dining in the dark was quite an interesting experience and I did have a fun group to enjoy the dark with, but some things didn't come up to par with the money that I was spending.
First started off with the Mixed Green salad which I would've been fine with if it wasn't so spicy. (I can't handle spicy very well) Though the spring roll or "squishy thing" was quite interesting. Next I choose the roasted herb chicken breast, which probably wasn't the best choice as it came out kind of dry and there was no sauce whatsoever, unless I just couldn't find it. The last course: lava chocolate was absolutely delicious. That helped kind of make up the night.
Also, I believe since our group was so big we got to play a game. We were given a bag full of small objects and had to figure them out. They were mainly small plastic toys. We were teamed up guys vs girls. Girls won. Woot!
After it all we left the dark room and went to pay the bill. That was just completely horrendous and took so long to figure out. I think mostly because we had a big group (11) and not everyone was clear that there were separate checks for the food and the bar drinks. Still, it didn't seem like the hostess knew exactly how to handle everything. I guess for paying 100+ for a meal I would expect better service and was disappointed. (Don't get me wrong, the service inside was awesome)
Maybe I chose the wrong entrees, but I probably won't do this again for this kind of price. -
Review from Cindy L.
5/29/2011
First saw this on an episode of Nip/Tuck a while back, but didn't think it actually existed until a Groupon appeared!
We walked in, was promptly greeted & handed a menu to pick our selection for dinner. I had pretty low expectations for the food quality (since this place is all about the experience!) but it was actually pretty delicious to the point where I made sure I ate everything off my plate (the trick in the dark is to eat what you can, then towards the end, push all the food to one corner of the plate, pick up your plate & put it next to your mouth, and sweep in with your fork). I got the mixed salad, ahi tuna with rice, and the chocolate lava cake (dessert was THE BEST!!!). Quite proud of myself that I didn't use my hands to eat at all. Don't fret if you do though, before dessert, they bring you a bowl of water to wash your fingers.
Our server was super friendly, helpful, and made the experience less nerve wrecking. The concept itself is very good, I only wish they were much stricter in terms of making sure their guests abide by the "no light" policy. The room is pitch black & the table behind us kept flashing their cell phone to use it as a light source and we totally were thinking, "um...you paid to eat in the dark, stop trying to ruin it for yourself & those around you!!!". Also, it seems like we were all seated relatively close together because you can hear EVERYONE's conversation. Perfect for eavesdropping.
Everything is sexier in the dark, so it is a really fun experience to have with your significant other (wouldn't suggest it for a first date though - besides the price issue, takes an amount of ease & comfort with each other to enjoy the darkness). They do wisely seat couples across from each other instead of side by side just to make sure things stay appropriate. Yep, you can PDA as much as you want because no one around you can see it!
Overall: Really fun & unique experience. I think it is those "do it once in your life", if just to appreciate something as simple as being able to see. Expensive! Even with the Groupon, factoring in tax & tip, came out to be about $140-150 for the two of us. Normal price would've been about $220 not including tip.
Parking can be tricky because it is WeHo, but we were lucky & found street parking for free after 6pm.Listed in: Discounted Livin', SoCal Unorthodox Jaunts
-
Review from benjamin h.
Los Angeles, CA
6/18/2011
We went on a Groupon because while we're adventurous and like checking out weird stuff... $200 is just a lot of money for a single meal.
The outside is extremely non-descript, bordering on ugly. The entry/front bar felt sortof like the local skating rink on Xanadu Tuesday. There's a bit of hoopla before you go into the "dark" area. I think the most striking thing is that contrary to the speculation that "when you can't see, your sense of hearing is sharpened," really what's happening is a large number of people are packed into a tiny space, like sardines, and they are generally loud jackasses. So it ends up being loud. Also, you feel a lot of pant legs and elbows hitting you, so if you're into that it's great.
The food is... It's not awful, it's like what you'd expect at a decent banquet, but no better. Way, way overpriced. In the end, it's interesting and probably worth trying, but I can't imagine feeling the need to go again. Save a few bucks and make a nice meal, then turn out the lights. -
Review from Haiku-Project H.
Los Angeles, CA
6/4/2011
It's a bit trippy.
Wedding reception cuisine.
Indescribable. -
Review from Bonnie C.
Los Angeles, CA
5/11/2011
First thought = Hey, it's at V Lounge where I used to frequent = fun place!
Second thought = Being led to my table, in pitch black, but still could tell that the furniture is kind of cheapy (not like anyone can see, so why bother buying something nice..i guess)
I definitely wouldn't come back here for the food. The 3 course meal is a salad, entree, and dessert. I asked for my steak medium, and even though I couldn't see, I could tell that it wasn't really cooked that well (isn't that the whole point of this place?). So I take home what's left, and when i can finally see outside, it's red as all hell! And then my chocolate lava cake- the ice cream was sneakily replaced by whipped cream = SAD FACE. As if people can't tell the difference.
And then we finished our meal, and were getting sleepy in the dark...and had to wait like 10-15 minutes just to leave. It's not like we could have just walked out on our own.
Maybe if you came as a couple, it'd be fun to try to feed each other things and do naughty things in the dark, HA. -
Review from Drew D.
2/23/2011
This place is more about the experience than the food. At about $100 dollars per dinner (salad, entree, and dessert) you would expect some amazing food. Don't get me wrong, the food is good but just not top dollar. But what you're really paying for is the experience.
I came in with a date over the weekend. After we ordered our food, we met with our server and she escorted us through a hallway of curtains into a pitch black room. Inside, I felt a sudden rush of anxiety because I couldn't see anything. I could just hear a room full of people but no real way telling where the heck I was in the room. Throughout the whole dinner that anxiety would tend to go away and come back. You tell yourself that you're eyes will adjust and that you'll be able to see just a little bit, but they never do.
My date and I tried to try each others food. So we started with the method of "here I'm going to reach out for your hand with my hand, so that way I know where you are." This ultimately ended with her poking my eye with one of her fingers, and of course I didn't blink because I could not see it coming. So our strategy changed to let's close our hands before we reach out. And our other strategy that worked was put your hand where you hear the knocking.
The dishes are all set up in a way where it is pretty easy to eat. I cut my filet mignon once before I realized that I had quite a few pieces. The pieces were a little to big to eat politely, but it didn't really matter because my date couldn't see me stuffing my face. After getting a little frustrated with trying to eat with a fork, I was very tempted to just go full filipino style on my food. Especially while eating the salad. I never realized how hard it is to eat veggies when you can't see them. Carrots just roll away and cherry tomatoes are impossible to stab.
Overall it's a really great experience. I would definitely suggest going to at least once to try it. I probably wouldn't go anytime in the near future because 1) it is expensive and 2) for me, it is just about the experience.
With that being said there were some inconsiderate tables that did turn on their phones while we were in there. They did it right as my date and I just finished dessert, but really people don't do that. Everyone in there is paying to eat in the dark and by turning on your cell phones you're ruining that experience for everyone else. -
Review from Monica W.
Long Beach, CA
3/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
After reading the reviews of the food, we had low expectations. Boy, were we pleasantly surprised! We thought the food was great. But more on that later.
Nothing different than what other reviewers have indicated in terms of the process: enter and order your food then get escorted to your table by a vision-impaired server.
Inside the dining room, it is certifiably pitch black. Doesn't matter whether your eyes are open or closed. it looks the same.
I took my wife as a 6 month anniversary celebration. We both had mixed green salads and the molten lava cake for dessert. I had the filet mignon and she had seared ahi.
At first I was very unsettled but then I just gave myself over to the experience and relaxed. I even managed to butter some bread - quite a feat in the dark. Equally hard was refilling our glasses of Pellegrino. Ended up doing it by touch and sound.
We both felt like the food was prepared with love and care. Partway through the salad we sort of gave up trying to use the utensils. At that point it became like eating Ethiopian food without the inera bread for me. My partner is Filippina and she echoed going full-Filippino style and just using your hands. I would still use a fork or spoon here or there and we even managed to share food with each other.
Here's where the sensuality really came in. Because we felt so connected to each other, dinner became like an extended lovemaking session engaging every sense of perception and apperception except sight. From this perspective, the food is amazing. So many textures and flavors - it was a total body adventure.
The more we ate, the more details came alive. I found myself excited to take a bite and discover something rich and savory when I expected salty. Or to wrap my tongue around something deliciously sweet and cool when I expected warm and crisp.
We'd find ourselves eating, kissing, feeling, fondling then a disembodied voice would come out of nowhere to check on us or to bring the next course. Titillating!
We couldn't wait to get home and extend the experience.
I recommend going with someone you love deeply and just embracing it all. It will wow you. -
Review from Celia C.
3/4/2011
I had the pleasure of dining here with one of my BFFs (aka culinary adventure sidekick) and we had an awesome time.
Let me first begin by telling you, THIS PLACE IS A TRIP!! You check in, then are guided by visually-impaired servers into the "black hole" and trusting your server with every step until he/she seats you.
Our server went over the wine list and asked what each of us wanted for dinner (food was already pre-ordered) then let us be on our way. She brought out our two STEMLESS glasses of wine (Thank god for stemless! I could see those getting knocked over!) and then our salads...hehehe.
When I say this place is a trip, it really is a trip. I felt like they were playing mind games with us the whole time. One second I have a plate full of salad. The next I can't find any of it. I'm thinking this whole thing is a prank. I know they're stealing my plate then replacing it back when I reach for my glass of wine. ;)
When our entrees came out, I'm eating...and, again, I'm thinking, "Who keeps taking my mashed potatoes?!?!"
My friend and I are busting up laughing at this point because she's having the same issue. Finally, our server checks on us and we ask her how we're supposed to eat?! Being the visually impaired expert, she whispers, "Try using your hands." My friend and I are laughing even more at this hilarious experience and dive in with our hands. We felt like cave women in the 21st Century grabbing our steaks with our hands and ripping it out with our teeth. Then reaching with our other hand and scooping into the mashed potatoes.
All I know is that it was by far a ONE-OF-A-KIND experience. The food was 3 stars, but the experience itself was a 5.
Pictures to be posted soon. Ha! JK. ;) -
Review from Glenn A.
Ontario, CA
3/6/2011
Let's start by saying the pictures shown on the page for this place are not of this location. May be San Francisco or something. This place is very unimpressive. Big block, black cinder block building. The inside club/lobby is not impressive either. Of course the dining room is PITCH BLACK. Parking is in the back. You can save yourself some money by bringing some change and find yourself a spot on the street and pay the meter. Valet parking only and it's $7 on the way in, then more if you tip on the way out.
This place is all about the experience and not the food. The food we had was mediocre at best and they charge you $100 per person not including beverages, taxes and tips. Go to Sizzler and you can have a better meal for about $50 for 2 people. I will say though, that I did decide going in that I was just going to go for it, and eat what was put in front of me, and I'm a very finicky meat and potatoes type eater. I'm not a spinach eater, but the second best thing I ate that night was the spinach....o.k third best after the steak and the bread. Not that the steak was all that great either but it wasn't tough and seemed to be cooked the way I like it, (though I couldn't see it so how do you REALLY know), and it had a decent flavor. I'm not saying everything else was bad either, but I did like the spinach. The other parts of the meal, the rice, salad and deserts were just o.k.
I'm assuming you know the premise behind this place. You eat in pitch black. Don't assume your eyes will eventually adjust and you'll be able to see something, you won't, The waiters are all legally blind or visually impaired. Mike, our server was very good at explaining where he was putting things on your table so you can find them. It was very tough to eat with the silverware, so basically you just end up eating everything with your hands. They're perfectly aware of that, as they bring you a bowl of warm water and lemon to clean your hands after the main course, though I could have used it again after desert. The dining room seemed very loud. I don't know if you're just more aware of the noise because you can't see anything or not. But we kind of expected a dark and quiet room, but it was dark and noisy. Not a place you want to take someone for something romantic.
Overall you need to decide if you're looking for a new experience or a good place to eat. If it's the latter, find a different place. -
Review from Ariel P.
Studio City, CA
2/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Me and the boyfriend went for our 4 year anniversary dinner after he saw it on groupon. Seriously unless your ballin don't pay full price for this place.
It's just like every review on here states- amazing gotta do it at least once experience but food is def. lacking.
It's true your eyes do not adjust to the dark AT ALL. you are completely blinded. My face hurt from smiling like a goob the whole time. Our waiter was really nice and helpful. the table is set up so even a klutz like me didn't spill anything [ my boyfriend did stick his hands directly into the butter almost immediately ]
the tables and chairs could be a mish mosh of garage sale finds- i felt my chair and along the bottom was all tattered and torn and ripped to shreds.
Bf did say his chicken was the best he's ever had- but he is really picky and hasn't been exposed to that much higher end food [yet].
I got the pasta and when it came out we both commented that it smelled soooooo good. Like it was the most amazing food in the world and I hadn't eaten in five years...but then my mouth was like oh.....that's it...and my napkin was being used after every single bite because it was reallly oily. It could have even been everyone elses left overs for all i knew.
the wine was cheap supermarket $6 wine, and it tasted that way- even in the pitch black.
oh and our waiter hooked us up with a little somethin somethin....My boyfriend specially ordered me a card in braille, not being able to read braille i had no idea what it said ...but it was super thoughtful and nice and he assured me once we got to the light it was spelled out beneath the braille as well. I decided since our waiter is blind...why not ask him if he would read it to me....after telling him it was our anniversary he took the card and read it to himself....he didn't want to "spoil" it for me so he left and returned with a braille instruction card!!! and explained to me about capitol letters and other letters in braille so i could decode it myself!!!! awesome! he also gave my bf a rose to give me [sneaky since i didn't see it happening!]
=]
all in all you gotta do it at least once! -
Review from Rebecca H.
West Covina, CA
3/29/2011 1 photo
My first attempt on trying this place out was around Christmas. I was surprised it was held in the back house of Vlounge, I thought I had gone to the wrong place but it was there. - walking in, initially was nerve racking but the smell of the food hits you all at once and that's when I started to get excited!
We got seated and my boyfriend sat for a minute to try to adjust. Unfortunately he simply just did not feel comfortable so we just left.
I tried again in Jan with one of my close gfs, it was a lot more fun this time around. Mainly because I finally got to experience it! We pre-select what we wanted outside and went inside a few minutes later- we had to walk in holding the back of the waitress shoulder forming a semi blind train. I kind of saw part of the way the room was designed when a car shine the headlights from outside. The room probably fit about 30 people tops if not less.
Either way the food was good- I ate EVERYTHING off my plate with and without my utensils and I was beyond full when we left. It was really nice, because the waitress found out it was my gfs bday so she got the whole room to sing happy bday to her- they also gave her a rose and a little brail card as a gift.
overall it was a great experince.
