Cannibale Royale: Case Study Through the Lenses of Customer Experience by Arribada

Cannibale Royale is a successful restaurant (5 units in Amsterdam and 1 in Rotterdam) with a strong and unusual concept: “When you cross a chic French brasserie with a macabre mancave” (source: their website). We’ve been there, and the food, especially the meat, is indeed extraordinary. I won’t dwell on this point, but it’s important to mention before continuing. Without a good product, all efforts to create a pleasant experience will fall flat and be seen as "all style and no substance."

From the name to the decoration, by using the clash of these two distinct worlds they aimed to create a sense of “Oh dear… where am I? What are they going to do with me?”—something you might find in a horror movie. The black-and-white photos of headless people on the menu contribute to this atmosphere. Let’s make it more visual: The word "Cannibale" evokes brutality, rawness, fear, and a passion for meat.

They explore these themes by using a lot of wood in the tables, chairs, flooring, internal dividers, partitions, and some plates and cutlery, which enhances the rawness. The scary photos, old tools, and knives decorating the walls bring brutality and horror movie vibes to the space. Soft, warm lighting, black napkins, and dark shades on the walls also contribute to this part of the concept. A quick side note: The use of wood in many surfaces is also beneficial for the acoustics of the space. It absorbs sound, allowing you to have a pleasant conversation with your companions even in crowded areas.

On the other side, Royale evokes images of gold, diamonds, fancy dinners, extravagance, fine arts, and more. This idea is captured in the mood board below.

Looking at their typography, they use a formal script font in contrast to a bold, all-caps sans-serif font to evoke royalty while emphasizing the awkward mix. At least in the unit we visited, they tried to convey the "Royale" aspect by using a gold version of the logo on the glasses in the front facade and some white plates with gold-edged details. However, the royal details were so sparse that they seemed out of place, making it hard to connect with the chic, royal concept at first glance.

The macabre sentiment that could arise from this combination was lost. The creepy headless photos in the menus and on Instagram highlights felt just weird. They made sense only to those familiar with the restaurant's backstory, but not to first-time visitors or regular customers who don’t delve deeply into the restaurant’s narrative. Therefore, while they have a strong and authentic concept, the mix leans more toward the Cannibale side, and the macabre, "Royale" part of the concept is somewhat lost in the middle.

After this deep dive into their branding and its translation into customer experiences both in person and online, I believe they could take a bolder approach with the royal side to exaggerate the contrast between these two worlds. They could achieve this by styling the tables to evoke royal banquets (white and gold colors, detailed plates, napkins, and cutlery, carefully chosen flowers and candles), dressing staff in fancy uniforms, and perhaps decorating the restrooms with royal aesthetics (gold, purple, dark red, chandeliers, ornate frames) to create a curious surprise. The sense that "something isn’t quite right" would emerge, and the macabre headless photos would make perfect sense. The unique concept they’ve created would truly come to life.

Hope you enjoyed the reading,

Aline 🧡

PS1. I made this analysis based on my own perceptions, understanding, and knowledge. I didn’t contact the restaurant before posting. It’s all my responsibility, for better or worse.

PS2. Cannibale Royale , if this post reaches you, I’m curious to know if it was a deliberate choice to soften the mix and avoid scaring off consumers. Please let us know in the comments! <3