18 replies to this topic

[Wilfrid]

I have a review of The Cannibal at the Pink Pig today. It's a restaurant pretending to be a beer-shop/butcher, and it's chaotically arranged and organized. Other than the odd salt bomb, the food - essentially meat tapas - is, well, pretty okay.

The ambience will drive some people crazy (and some will love it).

[Wilfrid]

I am curious to know if anyone else has been. It seems to have remained resolutely off the Mouthfuls radar.

[yvonne johnson]

I was curious about the name. I see this from Time Out.

Owner Christian Pappanicholas, an avid cyclist, named the place after famed Belgian racer Eddy Merckx, who picked up the nickname Cannibal after he won the Tour de France in 1969. Merckx’s picture hangs on a wall inside Resto.

[Wilfrid]

I confess, that connection eluded me. Like most people (not least Sarma as I recall), the name seemed a misguided way of encouraging meat consumption.

[Sneakeater]

Everybody sing!

[yvonne johnson]

I passed Roland Gift on Tottenham Court Road, I believe it was, in the 1980s. He really was drop dead gorgeous.

[Sneakeater]

Do you have Sammy and Rosie Get Laid on permanent replay in your DVD player?

[Wilfrid]

Has even Sneakeater not been to the Cannibal? No wonder it is off the map.

[Daisy]

I passed Roland Gift on Tottenham Court Road, I believe it was, in the 1980s. He really was drop dead gorgeous.

Oh god I loved him too. I taped that video and used to play it constantly. Thereby driving everybody around me crazy.

[Sneakeater]

Has even Sneakeater not been to the Cannibal? No wonder it is off the map.

I think it's an instance of extreme Skeen aversion.

Like, even he's not there anymore . . . .

[Wilfrid]

That is extreme. He left the restaurant next door long before this place opened.

[Sneakeater]

What I mean, I guess, is that when a restaurant (or in this case, restaurant complex) is started by a "name" chef -- even one I don't particularly respect -- and then he leaves and is replaced by a non-name, I usually find it hard to take the place seriously -- at least until advised otherwise by someone I trust. The replacement of the "name" with a non-name makes me think (right or wrong) the owners are mainly interested in treading water.

So now I have a reason to go to Cannibal.

[chopjwu12]

Bobby Hellen is the chef there. Quite frankly and i dont mind saying this Its been my understanding that bobby has always been the chef there even when his name wasnt in lights. Lets remember that skeenbag has always been skeenbag and his antics have always been the same. Bobby has always run that kitchen and done all the food.

[Sneakeater]

This is actually big news to some of us.

[Wilfrid]

Ah, that's some front-of-house at The Cannibal. Controlled chaos.