Singapore’s long-running dark dining experience is back with an updated menu at a new location in time for Love Day.
Nox Dine in the Dark reopened last week in a two-story shophouse on Club Street to plunge guests into nearly pitch-black darkness with guidance from visually impaired hosts.
“Bringing this amazing concept back to life again after a difficult year for restauranteurs has been truly a labour of love,” General Manager Eugene Lim said in a news release. “This reopening is testament to our growth and resilience over the past 7 years and we’re thrilled to share a new and refined sensory dining experience on one of Singapore’s best-loved roads.”
The spot might have moved but its intention to support the visually impaired remains the same, by hiring waitstaff who give insight into what it’s like to navigate their world.
The restaurant, which opened in 2014, was previously on Beach Road but shut down last year due to a lease dispute.
The first floor is kept (unsurprisingly) dark, with the walls projected with interchanging art of famous landmarks, greenery and aquatic animals. Its warm-toned interior is filled with burnished copper furnishings and a large Braille wall installation on the side for guests to decode.
Diners are welcomed and offered drinks from the open bar and an amuse-bouche before heading up to the 40-seat dining space on the second floor. From then on, it’s complete darkness, with the visually impaired hosts now having the eyes, guiding guests with hands on each other’s shoulders until seated.
Once inside, eyes expecting to adjust to the darkness do not. The glow of infrared rings marking the surrounding surveillance cameras are one can see as blackout curtains cover all doors and windows.
Now that guests are completely vulnerable, it’s dinner time. The three-course, 12-dish meal is served by the hosts who click with their mouths or snap to avoid bumping into one another.
The menus are kept in the dark to not spoil the fun and keep guests surprised by what exactly they are eating. It’s not as easy as you think. But here’s a little hint: European with a local twist.
Expect bolder flavors now that the senses are heightened. And try to mentally catalog each ingredient’s taste for the quiz that follows the meal, when every dish is revealed.
The restaurant’s tasting menus start at S$88, plus costs for drinks such as a S$30 wine flight and cocktails that run S$50 and up.
Reservations are strongly encouraged to book prior to dining via their website.
FIND IT
NOX – Dine In The Dark
83 Club St, Singapore 069451
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 6PM till late
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