The Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh is holding one of its sensory dining evenings on Friday night. The idea is that customers are blindfolded for the duration of their meal. With their sight removed, the roles played by taste, smell and texture should all assume a greater significance for the intrepid munchers. Including drinks, the menu costs £60 per head and includes a donation to the Scottish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
It is an interesting idea but sight plays such an important part of eating that I imagine that eating blindfolded must be like trying to wrestle while wearing a straitjacket. I once ate in a bar diner where the trendy lighting system made all the food appear to be a very unappetising blue colour. Under different circumstances, it might have been delicious but the unnatural tint of the food completely turned off the must eat switch in my brain.
The sensory dining meal sounds a fun experiment but if you prefer a view with your food then here is a short selection of 5pm restaurants that have an appetising vista. In Glasgow, both Red Leaf and 29 Grill at the Square have great night-time views of the city while India Quay and Prego have good views of the Clyde and Kelvingrove Museum respectively.
In Edinburgh, Apex Heights, Oloroso, Cranston’s and The Tower Restaurant all make the most of the historic cityscape.