Imagine that you are recognizing friends by their voice, sounds tell a story, aromas come alive and elegance is felt.
In this era of information overload, visual stimulation has reached an all time pinnacle. But imagine, just for an hour or two that you cannot see, that you are abandoning vision in exchange for a new, more stimulating dining experience – this is “Dining in the Dark”.
Opaque - Dining in the Dark – will seat you in a literally pitch-black dining room where you will be guided and served by blind or visually impaired individuals that have been specially trained to serve meals in the dark, casually and comfortably offering guidance and reassurance for sighted guests.
"This is a very cool experience. If the food was better I would go back. Sadly, though, the food is very mediocre. The service was excellent and the atmosphere is quiet and romantic. It is also very expensive for what it is. Somehow I don't think $100/person is reasonable when the food is not good....no matter how cool the experience."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: romantic
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"As you probably know, Opaque is dark. Pitch black. You are led to your table by your blind server, hand on the shoulder of your guide. You never see your food. Nor the people you're dining with. While the food is good, it's not anything special. Go to Opaque for the novelty of eating in the dark and adjusting your habits to adapt to the darkness. My wife and I enjoyed setting the silverware aside and relying on our fingers. You might say substituting one sense for another. We also arrived at opening (6:00), so the start of the meal was silent--there weren't any other diners. That too added to the experience.
Go for the experience. The food is a bonus."
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: special occasion
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"Expensive and not a lot of options on the menu (although you can go with the surprise for appy, main, and/or dessert) but we were there for the experience of dining in _complete_ darkness. So, I've had better and cheaper food, but I don't remember those meals. I won't forget the experience at Opaque."
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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"I took my boyfriend to Opaque for his birthday and we had a great time! I have never experienced anything like it before, dining in the dark is definitely an experience worth having at least once. It was very romantic and exciting not being able to see anything. I particularly enjoyed our server, who was incredibly patient and willing to answer all of our questions (and we had a lot)! I would certainly recommend Opaque to all who can afford it. It is quite pricey and we would not have been able to afford it without help from our family members."
Dined on 04/19/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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"Dining in the dark was a great experience, more impressive than I had expected and definitely a romantic one for couples. But I did get a bit sleepy at the end---I guess my circadian clock is very sensitive to light."
Dined on 03/28/2013
2008
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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"This is one of the most unique experiences you will ever have. Dining without being able to see your food, your utensils, your companions, etc. It's surprising how easy it is to mix up what you are eating, when you don't know and can't see it. The food was only OK, but the service and the total experience was amazing. Highly recommended."
Dined on 04/20/2013
2005
Special Features: special occasion
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"Me and my wife dined at Opaque on our anniversary and it was the most fantastic experience. Sitting in a pitch black room felt a bit uneasy at first, but we were soon used to it. We could hear at least 4 other groups around us and thought that the room was a bit loud - but that should be obvious considering we were "looking" around only by our ears.
Being Indian vegetarians, we were glad that the prefix menu had vegetarian choices. They also had a mystery option for the appetizer, entree and desert - we went for it and loved it! The food was great, both in quantity and quality.
Highly recommend for a special romantic occasion."
Dined on 04/18/2013
2010
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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"When I made the reservations , I mentioned that we had 8:00 symphony. The person who answered said it was no problem. We arrived at 6:15. After the appetizer, we had to wait quite a while for the main course. Since it is dark we could not see our watches. We happened to ask the time and it was 7:35. We had no choice but leave without our dessert.
Two things: they should have discounted the dinner since we did not have dessert and secondly, they should have been mindful of our time constraints since we couldn't see any time."
Dined on 04/13/2013
2006
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"This was my second time at the restaurant and my experience was horrible. The food is overpriced and the staff this time was humorless and offensive. We will not go back."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2013
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"It is a completely different experience!!! Yo can try the food with all other senses besides the view. The food is amazing, I went there with my husband and a friend that is chef and he was amazed about the food!. It is for sure one must everyone have to experience."
Dined on 03/28/2013
2011
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, romantic, special occasion
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"We had been wanting to go to Opaque for a while and finally managed to get reservations. This place isn't cheap but you pay for the ambiance and the thrill of dining in pitch black darkness. Besides which the food is absolutely fantastic! The waitstaff are attentive, exceedingly nice, patient and guide you every step of the way. Our food came quickly as did our drinks and both were some of the best I've had in San Fran. I would absolutely recommend this, especially if you want someplace totally unique and fun! It was an experience I would go back for!"
Dined on 03/29/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, kid-friendly, romantic, special occasion
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"The experience was amazing. We dined in pitch black. I was very nervous at first but the evening turned out very well. The food was excellent, service was great.. Just a great experience overall.."
Dined on 03/27/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, special occasion
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"Very cool experience! Pitch black inside. Definitely opt for the mystery menu, half of the fun was trying to figure out what things were. A bit pricey, but a great special occasion place and a novel dining adventure!"
Dined on 03/22/2013
2009
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"I really enjoyed my experience at Opaque. The service and food were excellent. My only concern is with the price - I thought the price we paid was extremely high for a 3-course meal."
Dined on 03/23/2013
2002
Special Features: special occasion
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"This is my third time to this restaurant, and all my guests continue to be impressed! The experience is unlike any around, and initiaties some interesting and stimulating conversation with fellow diners, as well as the waitstaff. I always go in with mediocre expectations for the food, and come away every time wowed! On my last visit, I went with the "mystery option" for each course, and it did not disappoint! I will continue to keep this on my list for out-of-town guests!!"
Dined on 03/14/2013
2007
Special Features: good for groups, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"Opaque is a great experience, and I'd recommend anyone try it at least once. The only downside is that it's quite pricey, but for special occasions or a unique ambiance it is worth it.
The food is par for a fancy restaurant, but nothing special. My date's and my dishes (vegetarian) seemed to rely a bit much on butter. They have a "Mystery Option" which is off-menu so you won't know until you taste it. You can also choose mystery cocktails, which in our sample of three were a bit on the sweet side, and nothing exotic.
The atmosphere is the best part; aside from the the absolute darkness, there are sound curtains throughout, so any noise is muffled, and it feels very private, but you have to know your waiter by name, for obvious reasons"
Dined on 03/15/2013
2010
Special Features: good for groups, romantic, special occasion
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"You pay dearly for the experience of eating in total darkness. Finding the food on the table, finding it on your plate and actuall eating. The experience makes you appreciate the challenges of being visually impaired, wven if its just for a little white. The food is very, very average. Not at all hot. And the menu is incredibly limited. On top of that the food is way overpriced for the quality. Our table was near the entrance which had huge drafts of cold air every time the door was opened. It was downright freezing inside.
I'm not sure why the food is so pricey but obviously you're paying for the experience of eating in dark and being served by the visually impaired. I doubt that we would do it again. Might be more fun for group thoug"
Dined on 03/15/2013
2011
Special Features: good for groups
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"Dining in the dark. Total, complete dark. This is a great, unique, intimate experience. It's a perfect romantic evening, with the caveat that there's likely to be a lot of touching (particularly if you like to share food) so it's not ideal for a first date. Even though the restaurant is worth visiting for this alone, the food itself didn't suffer in quality. I highly recommend going with the "mystery" option - guessing the food is a lot harder than you'd think, and made the evening even more fun."
Dined on 01/31/2013
2009
Special Features: late-night find, romantic, special occasion
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"A very good place for a special date night. We went in a group so we were way noiser than we should. We tried not to make too much noise after they asked us to keep it down, but in a big group is hard. Food was tasty, and the service was great"
Dined on 02/07/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"Opaque was a unique dining experience that totally lived up to expectations. Food was excellent, staff was very friendly, and our server (Mocha) was outstanding!"
Dined on 02/07/2013
2013
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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"Dining in the Dark is a memorable experience. To experience food and dining without the benefit of the sense of sight, all the other senses become heightened. The sounds of the dinnerware and conversations, the touch, taste, and texture of the food, even a sense of space and time become all the more real."
Dined on 01/26/2013
2010
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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"Be brave and try at least one of your courses as a mystery course (and/or the mystery cocktail or wines). Service is great and everything was delicious. A humbling and memorable experience!"
Dined on 01/23/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, special occasion
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"I brought my 5 adult children to Opaque as a surprise adventure. We had an amazing time...with lots of laughter and also some "insight" into the profound experience of complete darkness. We all felt it was a wonderful time and experience"
Dined on 01/19/2013
2011
Special Features: good for groups, special occasion
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Opaque - Dining In The Dark