Sight is without question the most important of our five senses. In this fast moving world, our eyes are constantly working overtime. Throughout the day, our eyes have to comprehend, process and evaluate thousands of visual messages. Hence the other senses have unwillingly become less important. At Unsicht-Bar you will enjoy the unusual experience of eating in complete darkness, an extremely unusual and exhilarating experience. By voluntarily abandoning your visual impulses you will be able to experience the wonderful capabilities of your others senses, particularly your taste receptors.
Upon arrival you are greeted in the foyer and given the opportunity to choose your main course from the bi-lingual menu. All other aspects of your meal, such as how it is prepared, what the starter and desert consist of, and what flavour your soup will be, are described only vaguely and cryptically. You are then introduced to your waiter, who will speak German or English, according to your preference, and will safely lead you into the darkness in a Conga line.
The darkness evoked in us some unexpected feelings of fear and loneliness. Firstly I felt a sense of fear that I would never be able to find my way to my seat. Our waitress, Angela, of course quelled these fears with her flawless guidance. Similarly to all the waiting staff, Angela was blind, and was entirely comfortable with her surroundings, describing to us as exactly where to find our cutlery, glasses, the bottle of wine, and later, our food. She also gave us tips on accurate pouring of wine when you can’t see what you are doing. As Angela left the table both my partner and I then felt a strange sense of loneliness, as if we’d been left alone in the dark. It was an odd and unexplainable feeling, since we were fully aware that we were surrounded by chatting diners, albeit that they were entirely invisible to us. This feeling was also quickly usurped by feelings of excitement and intrigue as we discussed this strange and extraordinary experience, which has also been enjoyed by celebrities such as Matt Damon, John Malkovich and Natalie Portman.
Our meal was unforgettable culinary experience, each flavour emphasised and we ascertained its texture and taste. “Oh, I think I just ate a parsnip… or was it potato?” for example, was not an unusual addition to the conversation. Angela advised that if we needed her we only had to call her name, something I did not need to do until the end of the evening, since she always returned at ideal intervals to collect our plates and serve the next delicious course. When I did call her for assistance, I barely raised the level of my voice, not wanting to shout across the busy restaurant, though I was unsure if anyone other than my partner would have heard me. But within a minute Angela was beside the table ready to help us leave the dark restaurant area. After paying outside, the real menu was revealed to us, allowing confirmation, or in some cases contradiction, of what we thought we were eating.
A trip to Unsicht-Bar on Gormannstrasse, Mitte, is a must for any visitor or resident of Berlin, though the experience does not come cheap. Expect to pay approximately €40 to €60 for a three or four course meal. However, I believe it is something that is worth doing at least once in your life.
Author: E. La Crey
OTA-Berlin Constituency Blog, brought to you by OTA-Berlin Holiday Apartments
