The success story of "Dans le Noir?": A sensory and social revolution
Dans le Noir?
From darkness to light
In 2003, Edouard de Broglie, an innovation entrepreneur, recognised the potential of the concept of dining in the dark after meeting associations of visually impaired people in France, Switzerland, and Germany, where these dinners were organised to raise awareness about the daily lives of visually impaired individuals.
Supported by the Paul Guinot association, his company Ethik Investment created the Dans le Noir ? brand in 2004 to explore our senses by depriving ourselves of what is often considered the most essential, sight. The first restaurant opened on the 14th July 2004 in Paris, and was a success. The brand quickly expanded, opening a restaurant in London and then several others in Europe and major cities around the world.
The brand then enriched its offerings by exploring other senses such as touch and smell, diversifying into the spa, sensory workshop, and more recently, perfume markets.
A constantly evolving story
For over 20 years, Dans le Noir ? has offered unique sensory experiences that are both convivial and human. By obscuring sight, the brand invites moments of questioning, discovery, and introspection, moving beyond appearances and preconceptions, and questioning certain excesses of contemporary marketing.
Today, with its international presence, Dans le Noir ? has established itself as a key player in sensory reconnection and a leader in absolute darkness experiences.
Restaurants in total darkness, immersive sensory workshops, spas, perfume: these experiences challenge our certainties, reconnect us with all our senses, and open new perspectives on our relationships with others.
In keeping with these experiences, Dans le Noir ? is enriching its universe with unique sensory creations. Among them, a sensual and audacious Eau de Parfum de Nuit, designed to awaken your senses, and its discovery workshop that transports you on an unprecedented olfactory journey. A fragrance created with Symrise and Suzy Le Helley, a rising star of French perfumery, in collaboration with sensory experts who have been leading Dans le Noir ? perfume workshops since 2020. A perfume placed at the level of the greatest perfume brands from its launch in 2024, sometimes even ahead of legendary perfumes.
Our Brand Manifesto: From the senses to the essential
At Dans le Noir ?, we design unique, immersive, and inclusive sensory experiences where humanity and conviviality take center stage. By eliminating sight, the brand offers a space for intimate exploration, an invitation to overcome prejudices and ask essential questions:
"Who am I when my perception of the world is no longer guided by sight? How can I (re)discover my way of feeling, listening, touching, breathing, and savouring life?"
Our experiences, tasting, smelling, relaxing, are necessary pauses in a world in constant motion. Far from the over-information and excesses of invasive marketing, they offer a break, a moment to slow down and reconnect with oneself.
Dans le Noir ? does not claim to offer answers but rather invites questioning. Our experiences free speech and invite each participant to reflect on their relationship with others, with difference, with disability, and on essential issues such as our consumption patterns.
Dans le Noir ? is above all a reflection on our humanity in the face of the challenges and promises of the 21st century. By offering another perspective on difference, we accomplish a small miracle every day: opening a small window in the minds of our guests, a questioning, the first step towards reclaiming their identity and freedom. An approach that combines depth and lightness to enrich a beautiful human adventure.
With patient but solid organic growth, far from the unbridled economic model of start-ups, Dans le Noir ? favours patient and sustainable development. This success is based on experienced management, strict ethics, and a committed team united by a common vision: to build a more human and inclusive world.