On the eastern side of Zurich, there is a former church that is now home to a rather unusual restaurant called Blinde Kuh (The Blind Cow). Blinde Kuh is unusual because you eat in total darkness. They've even covered the windows, so if you go during the daytime, you're still eating in darkness. Not only that, but the waitstaff and cooks are all either blind or seeing-impaired.
The restaurant opened in 1999 and was the first of its kind in the world. Blinde Kuh has opened a second location in Basel, and there are similar restaurants now open in Germany and London. The Blinde Kuh was designed on two levels: the first was to give blind/sight-impaired people empowerment and employment; the second was to create a unique dining experience.
You will peruse a menu in the lobby (a three-course meal will run about CHF85, approx. $70) before being led through heavy curtain and into the blackness of the restaurant. You quickly realize that being deprived of sight sharpens your other senses, making you focus more on taste, sound, smell and touch. Yes, it is possible to make a mess of yourself, but if you concentrate on your eating, you should be ok. (And if it comes to it, you can duck into the lighted bathrooms to make sure!)
The food is very good, enhanced even more by one's heightened senses; and the restaurant is quite popular - dinner reservations may be booked two months in advance, so you may want to try for lunch.
Blinde Kuh is a smoke-free restaurant.