Will Nigella Lawson’s Vivid Sydney dinners be worth the $340 price tag?

• Nigella Lawson is coming to Sydney to curate three exclusive dinners for Vivid Sydney in Martin Place’s new pedestrian tunnel.
• The unique dining experience is part of the ambitious Vivid Food program.
• Guests wanting to experience these unique dinners are looking at a punchy price tag of $340.
• READ MORE: These are the 10 best new restaurants in Sydney right now.

We’ve all heard the news by now: one of the biggest drawcards for Vivid Sydney this year is none other than the charismatic queen of food herself, Nigella Lawson, who will be curating three exclusive multi-sensory dinners in Martin Place’s tech-forward pedestrian tunnel, Muru Giligu.

And a big talking point has been the cost of admission: $340.

By our recollection, it’s one of the most expensive Vivid Sydney events in the institution’s 15-year history, resting around the same price of a Taylor Swift ticket or a seven-course meal at Oncore by Clare Smyth.

Although it’s not the most expensive this year, with Luke Mangan’s curated Luke’s Vivid Table at the Pylon Lookout coming in at $395. But that will include panoramic jaw-dropping views from the Sydney Harbour Bridge which scan the entirety of Sydney Harbour.

This is opposed to the rest of Vivid Sydney, where more than 75% of the program is free and accessible to address the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

The Vivid Light Walk, for example, is now completely free for all after last year’s event received backlash for charging for some installations in Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Wynyard’s tunnels.

Nigella Lawson is clearly one of the most beloved figures in the world of food, arguably even more popular than the world’s best chefs like Rene Redzepi and Heston Blumenthal. So a punchy price tag should be expected. However, what isn’t clear is what to actually expect from the expensive dinner.

We know that Nigella will be curating the experience based around local NSW produce and premium wines. But that’s a given. Any dinner worth it’s salt would bank on provenance, as this typically offers stronger, more memorable flavours while simultaneously championing local growing industries and telling the story of the state’s best producers.

Then there’s the wine. We know it’s “premium” and the program is focused on local growers, but will we be getting rare, hard-to-find vintages?

It seems much of the cost of being absorbed by the setting itself. Muru Giligu is just one aspect of an admirable attempt to beautify Sydney’s transit experience and experiment with wellness-friendly aesthetics in unexpected places, presenting a likeable, cutting-edge space in the place of lifeless utilitarian architecture.

Muru Giligu, meaning “Path of Light,” is a tunnel connecting Martin Place Metro Station with Elizabeth Street featuring evocative design with a controlled light and sound experience. It’s a bonafide gift to Sydney’s commuting crowd as they pass between 1 Elizabeth and 39 Martin Place, acting as a dynamic art piece that’ll change throughout the year based on days of significance.

Having Nigella set up dinner in this artful tunnel is an experience perfectly aligned with Vivid Sydney’s imaginative approach to placemaking lifestyle festivals.

But it’s not like seeing the famous foodie in Sydney is a rarity these days.

Nigella last toured Australia in early 2024 for the An Evening with Nigella Lawson series in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Sydney wasn’t a stop on the tour but she did spend a considerable amount of time in the city, so she’s very familiar with the local palate and what works in Sydney.

So familiar, in fact, that her favourite spots around town are already a matter of common knowledge. As per her social media, Nigella likes to grab breakfast at Woolloomooloo favourite Flour & Stone, lunch at the legendary Sean’s Panorama and dinner at Baba’s Place in Marrickville.

That’s not all. She’s also given heady nods to Sydney favourites King Clarence, Cafe Paci, Pork Fat, Fratelli Paradiso, Cho Cho San and—a Sydney Travel Guide favourite—Penny’s Cheese Shop in Potts Point.

As such, Lawson is intimately familiar with Sydney’s increasingly high standards of dining. There’s little doubt this dinner will be delicious, and having Nigella’s nurturing presence to guide guests on this three-course journey is an added bonus.

The definitive feature of luxury, after all, is exclusivity: the commodification of ego.

The majority of Nigella’s many fans will be priced out of the experience all together, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to become more apparent. However, Vivid has come up with a fascinating concept that does plenty to justify the high price tag, making it more about sense of theatre than just “dinner with Nigella.”

Hopefully a menu is released closer to the date so those forking out $340 at least know more details about exactly what they’re buying in the first place.

The rest of us will have to make do with the Vivid Light Walk, which this year will be more connected than ever thanks to the Sydney Metro network.

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Vivid Sydney

Where: Sydney and surrounds
When: Friday, May 23 to Saturday, June 14
Price: Varies based on event although 75% of the program is completely free

vividsydney.com

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