5 Unique Dining Experiences in Paris

Dine in the dark at Dans le Noir

Ranked as one of the most 10 unusual restaurants in the world, Dans le Noir (In the Dark) offers you the chance to test your taste buds when your ability of sight is gone completely and you do not know what you are about to eat - it’s harder than it looks!

To try this for yourself the next time you’re in Paris, you will have to make a reservation on their website. You will have the chance to tell them about any dietary restrictions and allergies ahead of time and pay for either a 3 or 4-course meal. You may choose to pay for 1-2 drinks of your choice to accompany the meal or pay extra to have drinks paired with the courses by the staff. You are asked to leave cellphones and belongings at the front of the restaurant when you check in to keep the floor space clear and prevent any light from phones, watches, etc. from ruining the experience. Your waiter will guide you to your table in the dark. In fact, most of the waiters they employ are blind or visually-impaired, as they are used to navigating in the dark.

If you come with a partner or a small group, you will be seated with them. Otherwise, the people at your table will be strangers, and you won’t know what they look like, enabling uninhibited conversation and true human connection.

You will have to use your senses in a whole new way, having to carefully feel for your utensils and water glass in front of you, as it truly is pitch black in the dining room! Afterwards, they will display pictures and descriptions of the courses that were served, so you can see how incorrect you were in trying to guess what you ate! See the pictures below to see the courses Allie ate when she went.

Have mint tea & desserts at the Grand Mosque of Paris

As a non-Muslim, you are still able to enter the mosque’s cafe area. After having spent a month in Morocco, I enjoyed the chance to relive my time there by drinking mint tea and having a sweet dessert. You may even get visited by a cat while you’re dining!

Have steak at Relais de l'Entrecôte

Do you have trouble deciding what to eat when you go out? Check out Relais de l'Entrecôte! This restaurant is known for its single course menu - a walnut salad followed by a sirloin steak with their famous secret sauce and French fries. The creamy cheese in the salad was delicious, and the secret sauce with the steak-frites was DELICIOUS. I am craving this as I talk about it.

Chill with cats at the Café des Chats

Exactly as it sounds like, this cafe has a dozen or so cats free-roaming inside. I had one cutie jump up to take a nap on the chair across from me while dining. It took me a couple tries to get in, as the first time I tried, there was a line out the door! The goat cheese salad I had (a typical favorite of mine in France) was so-so, but it was still a fun experience.