This fine dining experience is inspired by... cannibalism

The Nel Yellowjackets menu is a new 11 course degustation by Chef Nelly Robinson.
Offered for free, the menu is inspired by the Paramount+ show and is themed on cannibalism.
Nelly Robinson has become world-famous for his highly conceptual themed fine dining experience.
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Chef Nelly Robinson has built up a solid reputation for doing things differently, sometimes channeling his boundless culinary wizardry into vibrant Disney-inspired degustation menus, while at other times playfully elevating fast food staples like a KFC-inspired fine dining menu.

This time, his Surry Hills bunker restaurant, Nel, is getting dark. Very dark.

In partnership with Paramount+, the highly regarded British chef plans to turn Nel into an immersive fine dining experience inspired by the latest season of Emmy-nominated series Yellowjackets. Given cannibalism is a big theme of the show, which follows the story of survivors of a plane crash stuck in the Canadian wilderness, Robinson has conceived an Eat Your Heart Out menu.

That is, an 11-course degustation geared to transport diners to the northern wilderness and spark some survival instincts by mixing the art of foraging with one simple question: what happens when there’s nothing left to forage?

Robinson promises a “controversial” dining experience at Nel, offered for a limited time from Tuesday, March 4 to Friday, March 7, 2025.

*Nel’s Yellowjacket menu will begin with the theme of foraging before dipping into what happens when that foraging runs out (photo supplied).*

The chef is remaining tight-lipped about exactly what to expect from the deathly degustation, but he has created conceptual dishes riffing on human body parts like ears and brains. It seems like the menu will be section into two parts. The first is about foraging, as above, with dishes like “Salmon Over River Mist”. The second part is what happens when that foraging runs out, which is when the cannibalism comes into play with dishes like “Liver or Die” and “Queen of Hearts.”

“While it might not be visually appealing, the flavours and aesthetics will most definitely leave you speechless,” said the chef.

“To be approach to create a Yellowjackets inspired menu just felt like the perfect next venture for Nel Restaurant.”

*The “Queen of Hearts” is one of the eccentric Cannibal-themed dishes for this menu (photo supplied).*

That’s not it, however. The dining experience won’t cost you a dime. Nel is offering the menu for free to winners of an online competition that’s running over on the restaurant’s website. Winners will grab a table for themselves and a friend and sit down to 11 courses.

The competition appears to be a game of creativity rather than skill or luck. You’ll simply just need to fill in a form and answer the question: “If you were stranded in the Yellowjackets wilderness and could only carry three items, what would they be and why?”

Nel Restaurant’s Yellowjackets menu

Where: 75 Wentworth Ave, Sydney NSW 2000
When: Tuesday, March 4 to Friday, March 7, 2025
Price: Free (for winners of an online competition)