The newest trend in dining is not directly gastronomic, though it may intensify flavors and other sensations… except the visual ones. Pitch-black restaurants are popping up all over the world, and the dining is truly sightless. Mobile devices, watches and other potentially flashy things are confiscated. Patrons normally select their meals from a board in a waiting area, and are then led to their seats by waitstaff who place a guiding hand on their shoulder. The staff wear bells on their shoes, and are usually blind.
In fact, raising awareness about disabilities while employing the blind is the purported raison d’etre for these establishments. A review of one restaurant, Dans Le Noir in Farringdon UK, can be found here.