But there is now one question about his life that I can answer for myself: how does he eat?

The phenomenon of “dark restaurants” is gradually sweeping its way around the globe, and it has found homes in Antwerp and Brussels. The concept began in Zurich in 1999 and now counts 30 restaurants worldwide, each featuring different variations on a theme: you are led into a completely pitch-black room where you are served a meal, generally by blind staff.

In both Belgian incarnations, the menu is a surprise, leaving you all the more “in the dark”. The fun (and puns) begin with the names – while in Brussels you can enjoy your meal at Only4Senses, in Antwerp you’ll be visiting Ctaste, a branch of the successful Amsterdam dark restaurant under the same ownership. The major difference between the two is that, while Ctaste has a permanent space and operates five nights a week, Only4Senses is open just four nights each month.

As a result, the Antwerp operation runs more smoothly and offers a more professional environment. My first “blind dining” experience was in Brussels. Only4Senses takes place in a stunning exhibition space below the Sint-Hubertusgalerijen. You get to enjoy the softly-lit surroundings during the apéritif, and again after your meal. Organisers add an additional factor to your experience: they seat small parties together, so you become acquainted with strangers without seeing them.

Becoming temporarily blind brings about certain observations: I hadn’t realised how much I talk with my hands, for instance. And since the room gets quite loud (as people compensate for the lack of sight with a surplus of sound), I found myself closing my eyes despite the darkness to help me concentrate on my table’s conversation. Of course you also become much more aware of your food – and your comfort. In Brussels, this unfortunately meant a heightened awareness of hard, unforgiving chairs, and although the food tasted good (with catering by Café de Vaudeville, just above the space), it was far from adventurous. Dessert was perhaps the most interesting, featuring a crème fraîche with red berries (although of course we had to “taste” the red).

Although I was assured by the very kind waiters and staff that we came on an off night, slow kitchen service meant sitting in the dark for more than three hours – far too long for any three-course meal, let alone in this environment. In addition, the kitchen confusion left us no time to speak with our blind waiter, one of the other goals of the organisers.

Ctaste was quite a different experience. Owner Bas de Ruiter ran a one-man show during our visit – bartender, waiter and chef rolled into one. He managed it with aplomb and found time to share some of the restaurant’s secrets. While Ctaste also has blind waiters, if someone calls in sick, “you can’t just call up the employment office and request a temporary blind waiter,” de Ruiter says. He and his girlfriend have therefore trained themselves to cover these absences.

After inquiring about dietary restrictions or preferences over an apéritif, he led us into the basement dining room. On the plus side, the table featured comfortable, cushioned, high-backed chairs. The space does, however, suffer from a mustiness, which they are working to minimise.

Ctaste has given much thought to the culinary experience. The ingredients were more unusual and diverse; for example, the vegetables accompanying the main course were only lightly- cooked so that you could still pick out distinct flavours and enjoy their texture, while our dessert of chocolate ice cream, a pancake and berries was complimented with a balsamic glaze. All in all, the quality was excellent, but although I felt full at the end of the evening, my dining companions were not quite so stuffed.

De Ruiter says that the Antwerp restaurant has not met with quite the same success as the Amsterdam branch, citing cultural differences. He finds the Dutch more daring and spontaneous, while the Flemish are much more conservative. Here, reservations are made months ahead of time. “Then they call to reconfirm and to ask ‘is it really in the dark?’ ”

I assure you, it’s nothing to be afraid of. It gave me a renewed appreciation for the smells, textures and sounds of dining and a slight window into a world I never thought I could truly inhabit. Give it a try; you’ll “see” what I mean.

www.only4senses.com

www.ctaste.be