In Ecuadorean cave, meals offered in darkness by the blind
QUITO, Ecuador — On the outskirts of Ecuador’s capital, young couples and families venture into a pitch-black cave in search of an unlikely experience: a meal in the dark.
Blind waiters guide guests to their tables and deliver tangy fruit juices and appetizing dishes like caramelized vegetables and sweet fried bananas — foods the owner believes can taste even more delightful when diners can’t see what they are eating.
La Cueva de Rafa, or Rafa’s Cave, is the brainchild of Rafael Wild, an Ecuadorean who spent years managing an Italian restaurant in Switzerland. After returning to Quito, he began building a cave as a pastime and later decided to open a restaurant inside, run by the blind and serving meals in absolute darkness.
It’s a concept that has already surfaced in European cities including Paris and Barcelona and in the United States. The Quito restaurant is the only dining-in-the-dark establishment in Latin America, aside from occasional pop-up events.