New York is hardly short on good food—or restaurants turning dinner into a full-blown event. At Arlo NoMad, a design-led Midtown destination near the Empire State Building, skyline views and a glass-floor viewing deck 31 stories above the street add plenty of visual drama. It is here, amid elevated comfort food and buzzy hotel energy, that Dining in the Dark in NYC has found its home.
The dinners take place just once a month, so each sitting already feels like a limited occasion. And for its birthday, Dining in the Dark is offering 20% off tickets from July 23 through July 26.
Dining in the Dark: A Unique Blindfolded Dining Experience at Arlo NoMad
14 August 2026 18:00 + more dates
Never heard of Dining in the Dark?
Here’s how it works: you’re served a secret three-course menu while wearing a blindfold. Once the plate disappears from view, you follow the aroma, explore unfamiliar textures and work out what has made it onto your fork. Your senses do not suddenly develop superpowers—you simply notice more when the usual visual clues are removed.
An emcee guides you through the 90-minute experience, while the menu stays secret until the end. Expect anticipatory searches for cutlery, accidental food combinations and debates over ingredients that would normally seem obvious. It is part dinner, part sensory challenge and part social experiment.
That uncertainty also makes it a memorable date night. Without eye contact or the usual visual distractions, you focus more closely on the conversation—and discover how your dining partner reacts when they cannot tell whether you are holding a fork or about to throw some sausage on the floor. Awkward? Possibly. Boring? Not a chance. Hilarious? Absolutely!
Arlo NoMad
Arlo NoMad brings plenty of personality to the table. Just steps from the Empire State Building, the buzzy hotel combines thoughtful design, delicious cocktails and unmistakably New York views.
NoMad Diner gives the classic city diner a modern shake-up, serving elevated comfort food from pancakes and burgers to nostalgic desserts. Upstairs, ART NoMad pairs cocktails with panoramic Manhattan views and a glass-floored Sky Walk for anyone brave enough to look straight down at the streets below.
You will not see much of that skyline during your blindfolded meal, obviously. But it gives you a good reason to arrive early—or keep the date going after the menu reveal.
🍽️Choose between meat, seafood or vegan when you buy your ticket
👨👩👧👦Ages 12+
💸$51.20 with your discount
📍11E 31st Street, Manhattan, 10016
🕰️6 pm & 8.30 pm