Description:

In Surry Hills, Sydney, Nelly Robinson’s bunker-style restaurant was undertaking a refurbishment and required a brand refresh which matched the modernity inherent in the new space and to capture the unexpected and unique storytelling imbued in the culinary journey experience.

The theatrical dining experience at Nel aims to leave guests feeling nostalgic, exhilarated and sometimes perplexed. Each dish tells a story that reaches far beyond the palette. As such, the new brand identity needed to capture this unexpected spirit and sense of discovery. We coined the descriptor “A Culinary Odyssey” to articulate the journey and sense of other worldliness that guests are subjected to during their degustation experience at Nel.

Simple and timeless, the new Nel wordmark aims to play with people’s minds in a modern optical illusion. On first glance we see a standard “E” letterform - but something is not quite right. Our eyes return to decipher the visual illusion. The simple trick continues to work as our brain attempts to force the letter to fit the predetermined form.

This playfulness extends beyond the logo. Bespoke menu covers were designed using scanimation to create the illusion of a bounding rabbit as the menu is slowly pulled from its sleeve, further adding to the sense of theatre and wonder.

This visual language continues throughout the website, with imagery transitioning through vertical bars mimicking the scanimation aesthetic.

Considered interplay between the Nel brand and the theatrical degustation creates a seamless, mind-bending experience.