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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 11 January 2008
 
Evening of dating in the dark aims to prove that love is blind

INSIDE the Clerkenwell restaurant it’s so dark you can’t see the face of the man droning on and on about himself.
He may have a sexy voice, but he could just as easily be the Hunchback of Notre Dame as a James Bond lookalike.
This is not a power cut, this is the beginning of Islington’s newest singles scene – the ultimate blind date.
The Parisian concept of dating in the dark is being revived in the chic surroundings of Dans le Noir, in Clerkenwell Green, a restaurant where all meals are served in total darkness and the waiting staff are blind.
Make-up and haircuts no longer matter, with heightened senses of hearing, touch and smell, it’s the perfume or aftershave worn, or the sound of someone’s voice, which will influence the final judgment.
Next Friday, up to 60 single men and women looking for a love that surpasses the boundaries of the purely physical will be meeting with the lights out to see if Cupid’s bow can still hit its target.
For the £18 ticket, courageous singletons will sip cocktails in the dark while relying on their senses to seek out the man or woman of their dreams.
Once the curiosity becomes unbearable, the evening will progress upstairs into a lit room where the faces of their mystery companions will finally be unmasked.
Dans le Noir manager Dominique Raclin said: “In the dark everybody’s the same. Different people will be attracted to each other than if they first met in the light. There’s the senses, even the touch and the scent of perfume. We had the first event like this in October. A company called Meetic, in France, has been organising speed dating events in Dans le Noir in Paris. They found this place very interesting for single people who want to meet because we’re based on the social experience.”
Dans le Noir has previously been used by couples who met on the internet and wish to keep the element of mystery going over their first meeting until they are finally revealed to each other in the lit lounge.
Dating in the dark is organised by Meetic, a French internet dating site, better known in England as Dating Direct.
The website says participants will “revert to a more natural and simple communication” in the darkness.
It adds: “You will be surprised how it is easy to speak to other people in the dark – and even better, you will not have any prejudgements – perfume and voice will be your only characteristics. Once the experience is finished, you will enjoy a second surprise cocktail in our lit lounge, where you can exchange your feelings and discover the face of those you spoke with in the dark room.”

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