Nepal's first blind restaurant a hit with diners

Kathmandu: A line of diners, holding on to the shoulders of the person in front of them, enters the pitch dark hall at Nepal's first blind restaurant, which treats guests to food they can smell, touch and taste but not see.

The 16-seat dining room has been heavily curtained from ceiling to floor in black, and the guests grope their way to the table, guided deftly by waiters — all of whom are visually impaired.

However, while similar blind dining venues have already opened in Europe and the United States, the one here comes with the key difference that it provides a rare chance for the Nepali handicapped to gain a measure of independence.

‘‘We should see this from two angles — giving opportunities to the blind and a new experience to the public," said Shyam Kakshhapati, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal.