Just when you think we’ve reached peak veganism, along comes Blackout with their unique dark dining experience in Las Vegas.
This concept is rather unusual, but also highly enjoyable.
Diners eat their 7-course vegan dinner in complete darkness. Not semi-darkness where eyes can adjust after a few minutes, but rather total darkness.
On arrival, guests read and sign a waiver before locking phones and all light emitting objects into a secure locker.
Each group of diners is assigned a server just as you would be in any regular restaurant. At Blackout however, the servers wear night vision goggles in order to navigate the room and serve food and drinks.
Gil and I were invited down by the restaurant to try the menu and our server Anthony was a true delight. He was obviously our eyes for the night but he was much more than that.
Anthony talked us through each dish, gave directions to cutlery, and kept us feeling relaxed through the hour and a half experience.
The entire experience was amazing, a little nerve-racking, and something that I will never forget.
Anthony gave us minimal details on the ingredients of each dish, allowing us the freedom to explore the flavours on our own.
Gil and I had a great time trying to work out what we were eating. You don’t realise how much your taste is influenced by sight until you find yourself trying to deconstruct the flavours in a 7-course meal!
Hearing the other diners talk, laugh, and sometimes smash a glass (!) is surreal and has you questioning so much about your senses.
When we got outside, Gil said it was like I had been inside his brain for an hour and a half. How awful for him!
You are allowed to view the menu AFTER you finish your meal but you are not permitted to read it aloud nor can you photograph it.
Blackout prides itself on offering the experience as a complete surprise for diners and they don’t want it ruined by menu leaks.
In addition, the restaurant does not advertise as vegan even though all food and drink is completely plant-based. Imagine the thousands of non-vegans having this fun experience only to discover at the end of the night that they were eating vegan food.
That is some seriously stealth vegan activism!
You MUST try Blackout Dining in the Dark when you are in Las Vegas. You will love the food AND the dark dining room.
Visit the Blackout website and follow the restaurant on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.