About O.NOIR

“It’s a sensual dining experience like no other!” states O.NOIR founder and former owner Moe Alameddine, “[w]hen you eat food in the dark, your remaining senses are heightened to savour the smell and taste of food. Even everyday dishes like potatoes and yogurt take on a culinary flare.”

The socially conscious concept of dining in the dark originates from Jorge Spielmann, a blind pastor in Zurich who would blindfold his dinner guests so they could better understand his dining experience. In 1999, Spielmann opened Blindekuh (German for “blind cow” – the German name for Blind Man’s Bluff), the world’s first dine-in-the-dark restaurant. His aim was to teach the sighted about the sightless world, while also providing jobs for the visually impaired.

Inspired by Spielmann, O.NOIR Toronto opened in 2009, and has since created a buzz in the food service sector in the city and beyond, due to its unique service model and commitment to a social cause; O.NOIR offers everything you’d expect from a fine restaurant: great service, a delicious menu…and a unique dining experience with a great cause.

Since 2011, O.NOIR has been under the ownership of Dr. J. R. Feng, an entrepreneur and award-winning scientist known for his work in polymer chemistry and engineering. Through O.NOIR, Dr. Feng strives to promote diversity and acceptance, and educate the sighted about the experiences of the blind and visually impaired.