Saman Farhadi, maître d’hôtel at

Written on 27.03.2025

Saman Farhadi is maître d’hôtel and guide-waiter at Madrid, where he has become a key figure of the restaurant. He fought to obtain support from ONCE, paving the way for other young blind foreigners in Spain. Discover Saman’s inspiring story at .

Do what you feel, because in the end, if you’re wrong, you’ll learn from your mistakes.

Saman Farhadi

Saman Farhadi is maître d’hôtel at Dans le Noir ? Madrid, guide-waiter, and as those who’ve met him will tell you the life of the party.

Born in Iran in 1987, he arrived in Spain at the age of 12 with his older brother for eye surgery after the accident that caused his blindness. Since then, he has made Madrid his home:
“I don’t feel too far from my country, because we have a lot in common.”

He joined ONCE after a long fight to receive the same support as Spanish youth under 18. This is one of his greatest achievements, as it helped open doors for other blind foreigners living in Spain.

From his very first year of school, he mastered Spanish perfectly, in addition to Persian and English. Passionate about technology, he studied computer science and, alongside his role at Dans le Noir ? Madrid, is also a music producer and composer, as well as a developer and programmer.

Sam also enjoys watching series, reading, and going out with friends. Family is essential to him, and weekends are often dedicated to visiting them.

Three people walk in single file, each with a hand on the shoulder of the person in front, in a dark atmosphere evoking a sensory experience in the dark.

Sam has been part of the Dans le Noir ? Madrid team since it opened in 2017. He joined the adventure through a recommendation from a friend working as a guide-waitress at Dans le Noir ? Barcelona. In 2021, he became maître d’hôtel and team leader:
“My role changed - I now have to be attentive to everything.”

This new position brought more responsibilities, but he takes pride in training new team members and actively contributing to professional inclusion at Dans le Noir ?. His experience as a guide-waiter helps him lead with kindness and humility: “We’re not different - we just have different responsibilities.”

Sam’s life journey is a reflection of his intelligence, empathy, and courage. He is a true example of resilience. As he puts it: “The secret to overcoming challenges is simple: do what you feel. If you try and fail, you’ll learn. But if you don’t try, you’ll regret never knowing what could have happened.”

In the dark, you'll get to know Sam even better!