Hidden Table by Carousel: Singapore’s First Halal Dine-in-the-Dark Experience

Have you tried dining in the dark before? Hidden Table is a new dining concept at Royal Plaza on Scotts that has been generating a quiet buzz.

Hidden Table by Royal Plaza on Scotts Carousel Halal Dine-in-the-dark

Presented by Carousel Collection, this is Singapore’s first halal-certified dine-in-the-dark experience. Unlike typical meals where sight plays a big role, Hidden Table removes that completely and shifts the focus to your other senses — taste, touch, smell and sound.

How the Experience Unfolds

The experience begins at Palm Café on the fifth floor of the hotel. You’re welcomed with a mocktail called Elixir of the Forgotten Dusk and gourmet popcorn, which helps set the tone for what’s ahead.

We arrived around 6 pm for the first seating. The whole dining experience lasts for about 2 hours. By the time we collected our phones after leaving the dining room, it was already close to 8 pm. The second seating begins at 8pm.

Before entering the dining room, the staff will explain some basic rules to you. You must place all phones, watches, or anything that gives off light into lockers. You’re also asked if you’re okay with being in total darkness as some might feel discomfort being in the dark for a period of time.

Once everyone is ready, the staff who will be equipped with night vision goggles will guide you into the dark one by one. They will lead you to your seat quietly, ensuring everyone feels safe and settled. The staff then asked us to try pouring water from a glass bottle into our cups and while it felt tricky at first, we eventually got the hang of it.

The dining theme for the past month was inspired by a forest. Everything from the food, the audio and even the menu was designed around this idea. We were told that the theme changes every three months, which also means new dishes and updated soundscapes with each season.

The Menu

This current storyline unfolds in four chapters, each represented by a course. We were served a four-course dinner that followed a themed progression: beginning with The New World as the starter, followed by The Forest Awakening and The Enchanted Woodland as the two main courses, and ending with The Undergrowth for dessert.

Each course is introduced with a short narration and ambient forest sounds. You’ll hear things like falling rain, birds in the distance or leaves rustling, which helps build a sense of location even though you can’t see anything. There’s no visual cue for the food — instead, you have to figure it out by touch and taste. Dishes aren’t pre-cut, so you will need to explore your plates using your hands or cutlery, which adds to the challenge but also forces you to slow down and be present.

If you’ve left anything on your plate, the staff will let you know so you can finish it if you wish. We felt that the meal is paced in a way that gives us time to focus and engage without feeling rushed. Each course brings a different experience, both in flavour and presentation, though of course, the details are kept secret to preserve the surprise. After the final course, the lights are slowly turned back on, revealing the table we have just eaten at.

How’s the food?

There were some bites that threw us off a little, like a sour element in one of the dishes that we didn’t expect, which caught us by surprise. It wasn’t that the food was bad, but more about personal preferences. Overall, the food was enjoyable and worth trying, as dining in complete darkness makes you taste each ingredient more intensely, turning a simple bite into something you notice and remember.

Once we returned to the palm café, the chef visited each table to reveal the full menu, showing pictures of the dishes we ate, and sharing how each one ties into the storyline. You would be asked to guess the three different proteins, and if you got them right, you would stand a chance to win a staycation for 2 at Royal Plaza On Scotts! (Clue, listen carefully to the audio played while dining in the dark!)

Verdict : How We Felt About It

From start to finish, the staff were friendly and attentive. Even in complete darkness, we never felt abandoned or unsure. The service style here is very smooth — guided but not intrusive, always making sure we were at ease.

Compared to other similar concepts like NOX, Hidden Table takes a different approach. NOX focuses more on the personal stories of its visually impaired team, while Hidden Table leans into immersive storytelling and experience design. Hidden Table feels more like a themed theatre experience, where food plays a part in the narrative. It also fills a noticeable gap by being halal-certified, which makes the experience more accessible to a wider audience in Singapore.

This is not a place you visit just to eat. You go for the experience, the storytelling, and the chance to disconnect from your screens and daily routine. It’s suitable for couples, small groups, or even families with teens. Just make sure to inform the staff about any dietary restrictions beforehand — they’ll gladly accommodate.

All in all, Hidden Table is something worth trying, especially if you’ve never done a dine-in-the-dark experience before. It’s well thought out, engaging and memorable in a way that regular dinners aren’t. If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, this is a solid option. And if you’ve already tried similar concepts, this still offers enough to feel new.

Do note that Hidden Table is only open to guests aged 12 and above only, due to the nature of the experience.

Images taken by Royal Plaza on Scotts taken in the dark were provided only for this media invitation.