Venez déguster un délicieux repas chez O.Noir. Découvrez un menu incluant des desserts et filet mignon, aux prix de 11$ à 25$. L'ambiance de cet établissement est branchée, décontractée et familiale. O.Noir est ouvert en soirée tous les jours de la semaine. L'accès est aisé par vélo et transport en commun. Ils sont parfaitement situés dans un lieu entraînant connu pour sa vie nocturne.plus...Plus de texte
Arriving at O'Noir on the 14th of July 2012, I was expecting a unique experience along with some good food which would set my senses off on a trip like no other. Sadly, only half of this would be achieved.
Walking through the front door you arrive in a dimly lit corridor, turn a left and then you arrive at the bar. This is where you will be asked your name and handed a menu, without so much as a 'How do you do?' Place your food and drinks order and you're left to stand, seating is minimal. After 5-10 minuets you will be ushered to greet your server who will in turn show you to your table. Left hand on left shoulder. Plunged into the pitch black of one of the four dining rooms, you are seated and then await your drinks to arrive. Left to take in the eerie atmosphere that makes this place unique.
The first course arrives promptly, my partner ordering the 'surprise starter' and I the Calamari, of which, I received the 'surprise starter' and my partner the Calamari. From what I tasted of the 'surprise', which was a mixed vegetable salad of red beets, parsnips and goats cheese, the quality was lacking the vegetables had been overcooked and the goats cheese was none existent, I was eating lettuce with nondescript floppy vegetables. The Calamari however was better, full of flavors which complemented each other, the Squid could have done with 30 more seconds in the pan however. By the time we had finished the starters the novelty of being in a pitch black room had started to run thin.
The main course took about 30 minuets to come out from the kitchen. Something I haven't come to expect from any restaurant. In this time our server, Victor, kept us in the loop as to why it was taking so long, offered us more drinks etc. All that you can expect a server to do when the kitchen is running behind. I wish that I could say that it was worth the wait. I ordered the Shrimp with Herb and Sun Dried Tomato risotto and my partner again ordered the 'surprise main'. The shrimp were overcooked and dry, and the risotto was this way inclined also. It resembled cous-cous. And was clumpy and hardly tasted of anything other than the water, rather than stock, they used to cook it in. My partner received Chicken, potatoes and vegetables in a tomato sauce, rather basic,I thought, for $39 a head. She enjoyed it nonetheless. All cooked to her satisfaction.
The dessert, both ordering chocolate cake with Vanilla Ice cream. Was as you would expect. The cake a bit too rich and filling, tasting like a cake you can get from a good supermarket. The Ice Cream, the foodie highlight of the evening, rich homemade and intense in flavor. It was the only thing that got finished entirely throughout the evening.
To conclude, a good atmosphere and a buzz, good serving staff, always willing to help. Food was less than expected in terms of quality. If you're going to spend $100 on a meal for two, you can get a lot better value elsewhere. It would appear that you are paying around $40 to sit in the dark.
This restaurant is fantastic! You are in complete darkness, served by visually impaired staff...to basically give you the feeling of what it is like to be completely blind. The service was impeccable! Our server was very polite and always asked if we needed anything.
The food is wonderful and fresh. Eating in complete darkness is really an experience on it's own.
We will be definately going again!
The location is easily accessable off of Church Street, and parking is very close...within 300 meters.
Interesting experience, not for everyone but you gotta try it once!
O.noir is an experience like none other. You are seated at your table in complete darkness. I'm talking pitch black. Waiters are visually impaired, which further adds to the experience.
EXPERIENCE
Without ruining the experience, I will explain the process. Going down concrete stairs to the entrance makes you feel like you're entering an old dungeon. Large wooden doors greet you as you enter the dimly-lit interior. There are doors everywhere as you make your way down the hallway to meet the rest of your party while perusing menus. You order two or three courses, and have your choice of the standard pasta, chicken, fish, etc, or if you're feeling adventurous, you can opt for the surprise courses. When you're ready, after turning off your cellphones (not like you'll have reception down there anyway) you follow the your waiter into one of three dining rooms.
After going through an "Air Lock" type room, where a door closes behind you before you enter the actual dining room (to block out all the light), you are very slowly guided to your seat. Once you sit down, you must acquaint yourself with the table, where your plate is, your cutlery, etc. If you need to go to the washroom, you call out your waiter's name.
FOOD
The food is mediocre. Presentation is non-existent (I'm pretty sure they put zero effort into presentation), so you have to rely on your sense of smell, taste and touch (yes, I said touch). Before eating any of the courses, I felt my plate. I wanted to know what was where, and trust me you will too before you dig in.
Appetizer of Calamari on Greens was good, although the salad was dry and lacking any form of sauce for the calamari. My main dish was the "surprise" entrée, which, to this day I cannot figure out if it was chicken or beef. It tasted like chicken, but had the texture of beef. It was luke-warm, and didn't taste very fresh (maybe because they cut the food for you?). The vegetables on the plate were okay (peppers - don't ask me the colour, mushrooms, potatoes). Dessert was a Chocolate Raspberry cake, very good and it seemed like a large portion. The complimentary bread is warm and fresh.
SERVICE
We were served by Steve. Excellent, patient and understanding. Although there were huge gaps (what felt like half an hour) between courses. From start to finish, with a group of 8, it took us 2.5hrs. Things are generally slower when you're eating in pitch black, though. By the end of the night I was ready to get out of there. You pay at the end when you exit, this could use a bit of work. A huge line forms by people wanting to pay, it took us 10 - 15 mins and by this time it was already 11:30pm.
ATMOSPHERE
I cannot comment on what the restaurant looked like (although as we were leaving I saw one of the rooms with lights on - not pretty. Think 70s basement. Tables were literally fold-out wooden tables, chairs were those you would find at a banquet hall. Things can get noisy at times, especially since you don't know where the person is you're trying to talk to. I was sitting at the end of my table near the door, so a lot of people would touch my arm on my way out. A little creepy, yes, but part of the experience.
Beware: I have a red wine spill because a friend knocked my glass over. After coming out of the dining room, I noticed I had red wine all over my shirt. If you're clumsy, don't flail your arms wildly! You know who you are!!
SUMMARY
Overall, I would recommend trying O.Noir, not for the food, but for the experience. I would go back for a special occasion, but not as a casual dining experience.
