GERMANY: ABENDMAHL RESTAURANT SERVES MEALS IN TOTAL DARKNESS TO GIVE DINERS AN DIFFERENT EATING EXPERIENCE

Record ID: 596120

  • Title: GERMANY: ABENDMAHL RESTAURANT SERVES MEALS IN TOTAL DARKNESS TO GIVE DINERS AN DIFFERENT EATING EXPERIENCE
  • Date: 28th February 2001
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 28, 2001) (REUTERS) WIDE/ PAN OF PEOPLE SEATED IN RESTAURANT "ABENDMAHL" (LAST SUPPER) SCU COUPLE TOASTING SMV, WOMAN READING INSTRUCTIONS ON MENU SCU CANDLE BURNING SCU SOUNDBITE (German) UDO EINENKEL, RESTAURANT OWNER SAYING: "So far no guest has said that he already knows what it's like to eat in the dark and most people are totally excited afterwards and they discuss at length how much of the food they recognised." SMV, COUPLE TOASTING (2 SHOTS) SCU SOUNDBITE (German) UDO EINENKEL, RESTAURANT OWNER SAYING: "Experience has shown that people talk a lot because you can't see anything and feel like making contact with other people and that of course only works via the language. So it's a very convivial atmosphere and the talks are very intensive and direct." WIDE OF LIGHTS ABOUT TO GO OFF IN RESTAURANT (NIGHT SCOPE VISION) VARIOUS, NIGHT SCOPE VISION OF WAITER SERVING FOOD IN COMPLETE DARKNESS (3 SHOTS) SCU, FORK POKING IN FOOD, WOMAN EATING VEGETARIAN RAVIOLI SCU. MAN PUTTING EMPTY FORK INTO HIS MOUTH, THEN MAKING SECOND, SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT WIDE OF TABLE WITH PEOPLE EATING IN COMPLETE DARKNESS SMV, MAN HACKING INTO BROCCOLI WITH KNIFE SV: MAN EATING OFF PLATE, LICKING PLATE CLEAN CU: WOMAN TRYING TO EAT BROCCOLI, HALF OF IT FALLING OFF FORK SV: WOMAN LICKING PLATE WITH FINGERS SV: COUPLE TRYING TO KISS IN THE DARK SV'S: WAITRESS HANDING OUT CANDLES (2 SHOTS) PAN: LIGHTS ARE BACK ON AGAIN SCU: SOUNDBITE (German) SEMIR FEZARI, GUEST SAYING: "It was slightly difficult eating with knife and fork but after all you've got hands too." SCU: SOUNDBITE (German) DANIELA DARMS, GUEST SAYING: "My problem was that I could not get anything onto my fork and then I put the fork the wrong way into my mouth but after a while you get used to it and then it's fun and I really liked the food." SV: NIGHT EXTERIOR OF RESTAURANT
  • Embargoed: 15th March 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BERLIN ,GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA6B670DSL11FDRXVEI36FCRSZZ
  • Story Text: Drinking wine in the dark is not everyone's cup of tea - let alone eating in complete darkness.
    A German restaurant in Berlin's trendy Kreuzberg district specialises in staging dinners in complete darkness twice a month and the idea has proven so popular that the "Abendmahl" restaurant -- or Last Supper -- is already booked out for the next three sessions.
    Unlike other restaurants "Abendmahl" guests have no choice over what they eat: a set vegetarian menu is served to them and they don't even know what it will be.
    What at first looks like a candle light dinner soon turns into a completely dark room full of people poking in their food, then trying to put the fork to their mouth, some more successful than others.
    "My problem was that I could not get anything onto my fork and then I put the fork the wrong way into my mouth but after a while you get used to it and then it's fun," said Daniela Darms after her dining experience.
    Once the two-hour vegetarian dinner is over lights are slowly turned on again and guests may find out from a menu handed to them what exactly it was that they ate. A recent meal included broccoli and vegetarian ravioli.
    "So far no guest has said that he already knows what it's like to eat in the dark and most people are totally excited afterwards and they discuss at length how much of the food they recognised," said Udo Einenkel, owner of the "Abendmahl"
    restaurant.
    He explained that the idea was born when a friend told him about his childhood memory and how fun it was when his mother would serve dinner while the children were blindfolded.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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