by Thomas E. Foss

Created on: July 24, 2008   Last Updated: February 01, 2012

If you are visiting the capital of Germany, Berlin, and you want a special experience, you should go to the the Unsicht-Bar located in the part of town called Mitte. This bar is like every other bar, except for the fact that all the waiters are blind, and the bar is so dark you can't see anything.

Once you get inside the doors at the Unsicht-Bar you get to the foyer, where the lights are still on. You get to leave your coat, and you decide what to eat and drink, and perhaps take a drink before your experience in the dark. You will get instructions about what will happen next, as a preparation for your experience.

When you feel done in the foyer, a waiter will come and bring you to your table. Since you have to walk in the dark to get to your table, the waiter will thus ask you to put your hand on his shoulder so you will not get lost in the dark, where you are about to enter. This is how you and your friends will get to your table, and if you want to leave (for a cigarette, bathroom) during your meal, your waiter will guide you to where you need to go.

When you get to your table, you obviously have to wait for your food. When it is served, you still won't get any lights, which for most people will be very strange. If you are a couple I recommend you to sit side by side, but you will not see each other regardless of how you are sitting. It might, however, be an idea to have someone helping you since the darkness is not something we are used to. Another recommandation is to not lose your fork!

All over the experience is very good, although it is a bit strange. The purpose of the restaurant is to show how it is to be blind, and also how the other senses work when you can not use your eyes, and it actually was a different experience for me. One thing is that I had little control of what I was actually eating, so every piece came as a surprise. Another thing is that as the cliche goes other senses seemingly get stronger.

Looking at the bigger picture, I believe it is a good experience to try to be blind for an hour or two. Some might say the group is neglected in a society where almost everything depends on our ability to see. For that reason this restaurant gives a brilliant insight into how it is to need help. Obviously the waiters are your guides, and they are the actual blind people, which is somewhat ironic. But obviously, they are home in the dark, while we are not.

If you want to know more about the restaurant, feel free to go to

http://www.unsicht-bar-berlin.de/unsicht-bar-berlin- v2/en/html/home_1_idea.html

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