Is there a cannibal and cooks restaurant?
Executive summary
There are several real restaurants called “The Cannibal” — a nose‑to‑tail butcher/beer concept that began in New York and has expanded to Los Angeles and Culver City — but these establishments are named for a cycling nickname and serve animal meat, not human flesh [1] [2] [3]. Separately, media hoaxes and themed stunts have used “cannibal” as publicity, and historical or fictional accounts sometimes blur perception, so careful sourcing is required [4] [5] [6].
1. The Cannibal is a real, meat‑centric restaurant and butcher shop
Multiple reputable restaurant and city guides profile an actual dining concept called The Cannibal that began in New York as a butcher/beer hybrid and expanded into full dining service; profiles describe its beer list, charcuterie, nose‑to‑tail dishes and a planned Los Angeles butcher‑shop/restaurant offshoot (Food Network; New Yorker; Restaurant Hospitality) [7] [1] [2].
2. The name’s origin: not literal cannibalism but a cyclist’s nickname
Owners and critics consistently report that “The Cannibal” name is an homage to Belgian cycling champion Eddy Merckx, nicknamed “The Cannibal,” and it was chosen to evoke carnivorous, meat‑forward cooking rather than any suggestion of human‑flesh cuisine (New Yorker; Time Out) [1] [8].
3. Coverage and reviews confirm animal‑based menus, not human flesh
Restaurant reviews and listings emphasize cured meats, sausages, pâtés, whole roasted animals and beer pairings — items characteristic of butcher‑restaurant hybrids — and highlight signature dishes like the Cannibal dog and large format, tableside roasts, reinforcing that the menu is animal‑based culinary practice, not cannibalism (New York Magazine; Food Network; Thrillist) [9] [7] [3].
4. Why the “cannibal” label causes confusion: hoaxes and themed stunts
Journalists and critics have documented hoax or shock‑themed restaurants that pitched eating human body parts as a publicity stunt — notably the disputed Berlin “Flimé” promotion — and commentators warn that such campaigns can be imagined or deliberately provocative rather than genuine offers to serve human flesh (The Guardian) [4] [5]. Online satire and fictional sites (for example, an apparently parody “Cannibal Club” web page) further muddy public perception and require skepticism [10].
5. Historical and fictional precedents that feed the idea
There are also documented historical episodes and fictional portrayals that make the concept culturally resonant: reporting has unearthed 19th‑century episodes where individuals with cannibal reputations ran eateries (Sacramento News & Review) and television/film productions lean on culinary authenticity when depicting cannibalism, which can make fictional cannibal cuisine feel convincingly real to audiences [11] [6].
6. Verdict — direct answer to the question
Yes, there are legitimate restaurants named “The Cannibal” (and offshoots in Los Angeles and Culver City) that operate as butcher‑restaurants and beer bars serving animal‑based, nose‑to‑tail cuisine; there is no credible reporting that these real businesses serve human flesh, and instances of restaurants advertising cannibal cuisine are documented mainly as hoaxes, stunts or fictional constructs rather than lawful culinary practice [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].