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Veritas, 13-14 North Bar Street, Banbury

I could have been sitting there stark naked and Mr Greedy wouldn't have batted an eyelid.

I say wouldn't, but couldn't is more accurate, because after all he was wearing a blindfold.

Birthday suit or no birthday suit, we were also eating in the dark, which dramatically reduces the amount of time it takes to get ready, especially as we were donning obligatory white plastic aprons.

My mobile phone and handbag were confiscated and we were led giggling into the musky dining room in Veritas, one of Banbury's best restaurants.

Blind leading the blind? You better believe it. But then that's where the Dining In The Dark concept stems from.

There's a Dans Le Noir in London and one in Paris, where visually impaired staff feed customers in the dark to highlight sight problems.

Veritas has nicked the idea, if not the morality, and has begun staging one-off evenings. And it's great fun.

All your senses are heightened, so your voices are amplified and conversations become a big deal.

However, you are more likely to be concentrating on trying to find your food and getting it into your mouth without chucking it down your front or stabbing your cheek with your fork.

You also have to work out what you're eating, because that's the other novelty factor - guessing the menu.

Having guided us to the table, the waiters put us in contact with our tumblers, plate, napkin and cutlery, and explained that when they touched one's shoulder, the next course was being served, presumably to avoid any Basil Fawlty moments of food flying through the air, or wine being poured down cleavages.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE?

We soon worked out that the food isn't chosen according its handling abilities. We also realised that the left hand scoop and right hand fork were the best way forward.

The first course turned out to be a caramelised onion and leek risotto, which was easy to eat and delicious to boot.

Next up was a deep-fried goats cheese with a sweet chutney and beetroot salad, again all recognisable tastes, and a nice enough dish.

The main problems arose when eating the mains - steak, mushrooms en croute or fishcakes, depending on which menu you had chosen - meat, fish or vegetarian - because however hard I tried, I couldn't get my fork in my mouth.

After about 10 minutes, convinced a TV presenter was about to jump out shouting "got you!", I realised my fork was upside down and my napkin in my plate. In terms of taste, the steak was so gamey it was mistaken for venison, while the mushrooms en croute were just nasty and therefore abandoned.

But it was pudding that sparked the most controversy, because half way through the rich chocolate ice cream and raspberries, we all realised simultaneously the base was made of potato.

Whether this was a novelty factor, or to keep us on our toes, I don't know, but either way potato with chocolate is just deeply wrong.

Blindfolds removed, we were thankfully served coffee with the lights on.

I wondered why the staff were all convulsed with laughter until I realised I had chocolate sauce smeared around my face. Very 91\2 Weeks - not!

VERDICT: The bill was £29.95 a head plus booze, and the unanimous decision was that everyone enjoyed the novelty of the experience, if not the food.

2:19pm Thursday 3rd April 2008

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