In a world where many restaurants and eateries can make their mark thanks to social media, it’s a bold move to tell people to put away their phones – in a locked box no less. And it’s taken to another level when you ask them to eat in the pitch black. No lights. No knives. Not even watches. Just four limited senses and three courses.
It’s easy to write off Fresh Basil’s Dining in the Dark experience as gimmicky, but this is the definition of dining experience – and it had us talking (and debating) long after the time we would have typically snapped a photo of another Instagrammable plate and been done with it.
Just 20 seatings happen at the 60- to 90-minute session each night, and no matter who you go with, you’ll feel a sense of camaraderie with your fellow dinners at the end for trying, and likely failing, to identify just what you ate in those three courses.
The mysterious dishes do cater to food allergies and intolerances so be sure to pre-book and share details for the most relevant experience because you do not want to miss out.
On our visit, dinners were dressed in everything from casual looks to formal attire, but style doesn’t really matter in the darkness, and you are given an apron to help contain any mess or spillage.
Going into what feels like endless darkness can give anyone an initial sense of panic, but the staff explain everything ahead of time over canapés and welcome drinks at a table with an identical setup to the one in the dark. And the understanding and reassuring hosts make it clear they will be there should you need to get back into the light.
Losing your sense of sight completely alters the experience and it’s one memorable mouthful after another. Just when you think you’ve discovered all of a dish, boom, another flavourful twist.
Choose your dining companions wisely because you’ll either end up working together to figure out just what it is in front of you or bickering whether that really is beef, chicken, no beef, lamb… or fish? And that’s before you start listening to what other tables have to say.
Wondering what was that crunchy thing? And just what was in that starter? All is revealed at the end – including seeing where you ate (and made a mess).
Our lips are sealed. We don’t want to spoil it.
Dhs249. Mon-Fri 7.30pm-10pm. Licensed. Bab Al Qasr Hotel & Residences, Al Bateen (056 992 2078).
