Peter Anderson – One Man Went To Mow

Last night, Friedi took me to NOCTI VAGUS (in Berlin) as part of my birthday present. Now, going to a restaurant for your birthday might not sound like the most blogworthy material, but at NOCTI VAGUS you eat in the dark! Not the sort of dark where your eyes grow accustomed to the light after a few minutes, i mean complete and utter total pitch black darkness! My eyes were wide open the entire time, and i couldn’t see a thing. Not even the vague hint of an outline of things that you normally start to see after entering a “dark” room and your eyes get accustomed to the light. This led to a few difficulties, especially when Friedi, having sampled my chocolate pudding decided to leave my spoon at some unknown destination on the table!

For those interested in how the process actually works: You get to pick between one of 3 menus, or go for a “surprise” 4th option whilst sitting upstairs enjoying an aperitif (in the light). Once you have decided on your meal, you are led downstairs into a “midway” room with dim lighting. After a few basic instructions, the light goes out, your waiter takes your hand and then leads you to your table. Apparently they are guided by a series of carpets on the floor, and some kind of slightly raised marker system. Once seated, you get told where your cutlery and napkin is, and then the meal begins! Every starter is a soup, which feels horribly challenging at first, but is actually the easiest thing to eat in the dark. Especially when compared with trying to cut your vegetables in the total dark during the main course, or pouring your own wine! (there is noone telling you, potatoes at 4 O’clock, or some other useful system).

The whole experience was quite incredible. from being led to our table and served by our blind waiter, Isa, (all the waiters are blind or at most, have 6% vision) to “tasting” and i mean really tasting the food i was eating!

I would highly recommend it to anyone!