Somewhat related though very different, there are restaurants called Dans Le Noir ("in the dark") - founded in Paris but now in several countries, though so far I've only been to the one in London.
You choose one of a few set menus without knowing what's in it (IIRC, roughly "meat eater", "fish eater", "vegetarian") and give any specific allergies or really hated food types. You are then led into a pitch black room with absolutely no light leakage (no phones/etc. allowed) where you'll be served and eat your food without being able to see a single thing.
I believe the kitchen staff are hired purely on their cooking, but the waiters are visually impaired people who can lead you to your table and serve your food flawlessly without sight.
Their sales pitch is more about the uniqueness of the experience than about supporting blind people, but the fact that it does create this unique job that they're better qualified to do than people with normal vision is nice.
And it's a really great experience, although not particularly cheap.
There was a place like this in San Francisco a few years back (I think it’s closed now), but I went once with a group of friends and it was absolutely fascinating.
I still have vivid and clear visual memories of the meal (and this was ~5 years ago). Even though I couldn’t see my dining companions, I remember our sitting together, where every person was sitting, and what we talked about. The brain has an amazing way of filling in other details when lacking physically visual ones.
Another interesting effect was the pace and style of conversation. I was with a group of newish friends - not particularly close but close enough that we could let down our guards a bit. We talked about fairly intimate things - relationships, life, desires, etc. without the visual distractions I was able to focus on the conversation in a way I hadn’t been able to before.
Also it was nice to not care about posture or manners - slouch away! :)
It sounds like a fun idea... no knocks against it... but
Even in well lit environments you find things that shouldn’t be there, or the order gets mixed up. I guess as long as it’s not toxic, it’s plough thought it obliviously.
In a similar vein, there is a museum in Israel [0] that has a blind exhibit. They take you through several rooms laid out with different settings, all entirely in the dark. The guide is vision-impaired, and you don't get to see any of the other people in your group.
At the end of the experience they bring you into a room with lights, and you get to delve into what you learned and any assumptions you made about the other people in the group or the guide themself. It was an amazing experience.
Unfortunately the food is rather bad for the price (at least in the Paris branch). So it's a fun experience but you end up eating food that's barely better than cafeteria food at the price of a fine dining restaurant...
They also have (had?) a "surprise me" menu. An incredible experience to be sure. Highly recommended to anyone. I couldn't guess the main dish in the end. (spoiler) It was shark!
There's a place like this in Stockholm, Sweden also. I've never tried it, so I'm not sure if it's the same concept with the menus though. Still pitch black, as i understand it.
(And for the Swedes here, the restaurant is called Svartklubben (the name is a pun in swedish), and can be found at Södermannagatan at Södermalm, near Nytorget.)
You choose one of a few set menus without knowing what's in it (IIRC, roughly "meat eater", "fish eater", "vegetarian") and give any specific allergies or really hated food types. You are then led into a pitch black room with absolutely no light leakage (no phones/etc. allowed) where you'll be served and eat your food without being able to see a single thing.
I believe the kitchen staff are hired purely on their cooking, but the waiters are visually impaired people who can lead you to your table and serve your food flawlessly without sight.
Their sales pitch is more about the uniqueness of the experience than about supporting blind people, but the fact that it does create this unique job that they're better qualified to do than people with normal vision is nice.
And it's a really great experience, although not particularly cheap.
https://london.danslenoir.com/en/home/