French cuisine no longer occupies the highest position on the podium of world cuisine, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t keep up with the innovations and trends. Here are three restaurants in France that are committed to offering the consumer an experience beyond the culinary aspects.

Dans le noir?: eating in the dark in Paris

The proposal made by this French restaurant, which can be experienced in cities such as London, Mexico, Moscow, Madrid and Barcelona, is simple. It’s about keeping the diners in pitch darkness. And it is the waiters, who are blind, who suggest the dishes. These are adapted to each season and the diners only find out what they’ve eaten after the meal.

The eminently entertaining character of this proposal also calls for a sharpening of the rest of the senses: hearing, taste, smell and touch replace sight and invite you to enjoy the food in a completely new way.

Dessance: the second of our restaurants in France, also in Paris

The chefs at Dessance, Phillippe Baranes and Christophe Boucher, play on the confusion of the consumers, who have to reach their own conclusions. Their dishes combine sweet and salty ingredients. Sometimes it is difficult to know, in fact, if you are eating a dessert or a starter. They base their cuisine on seasonal vegetables, whose flavours they make the most of. They experiment with the textures and create what they themselves call “sparkling vegetable” cuisine.

Their excellent pairing work should also be highlighted, not only with wines but with different-flavoured liqueurs too. All this at a venue which won the 2014-2015 Paris Design Award, in this case granted for the boldness of the architecture at this gem of a restaurant in France. And as well as a restaurant, the Dessance describes itself as a “dessert bar”.

Three Michelin stars for the Meurice, the third of our French restaurants in Paris

The philosophy of this Parisian restaurant is that the diner should focus on the essentials. Even when it comes to the bare necessities, and so the tables have been stripped of everything that might distract from the food. The tableware is by Pieter Stockmans but each piece has been chosen with great care by Alain Ducasse, at the head of this gastronomic landmark. And the head chef, Jocelyn Herland, refers to his cuisine as a “rough cooking”. Based on seasonal ingredients, the dishes are light and very simple, but incredibly tasty.

The Meurice is remarkable for the work of the chefs and waiters, who adapt themselves to the rhythm and character of each table. As determined by the restaurant’s values, the staff are always present but do not impose its presence. The end result is that the diners rediscover the most traditional flavours of seasonal food in a way they have never experienced before.

The benefits of techno-emotional cuisine are in evidence at these three restaurants in France. If you want to know exactly what this is and why these venues are so successful, carry on reading here.