Step into The Spider Web, where the daring dine on tarantula tempura and black widow bisque in a creepy-crawly culinary experience like no other.
No-one can fault the ambition of chef Raelli Footstul. He had a vision. A spider vision. He pursued it with the kind of relentless tenacity that draws either admiration or approbation depending on the proximity of the witness from the madness.
Raelli has opened the Spider Web in the perfect location. His squat, dark and, some would say damp, cafe is located in the Gulch. That’s where the squat, dark and some would say damp artisans often crave the unusual.
It is out there.
This is the quarter of the dreamers, the inventors, the obsessives, to be found with oil under their fingernails and smears of paint on their overalls while the burn scars from flying embers resemble adult acne.
They cluster in dark corners, occasionally swiping at the flies, and batting away the leafy fronds of whatever palm or plant Raelli’s horticultural consultant has planted this week. The ground beneath their feet is a peaty mulch, the cafe itself being both farm and eatery.
Spider inside
Raelli’s emporium caters for people with stern boots. His arachnid-centred menu is a challenge. My table neighbour confessed she originally thought the idea a joke. She ordered the Goliath Birdeater Paella, believing the bird would be chicken and the eater would be the diner.
What a surprise when a formidable plate-sized crunchy husk appeared to emerge like a giant squid from Raelli’s orange, yellow and white frothy tumult.
Raelli tried to disguise the spiders in a previous restaurant Very Normal Eats in the more mainstream Trample District but he fell foul of several Guardian City statutes. Now, he is clear on his intent.
The single floor has cobwebs in the eaves, glass cases of stormspinners and crystalline orb weavers around the perimeter. Raelli himself (who is prone to patrol his 20 cover space) has stitched extra legs onto his white coat as a kind of joke.
My own tasting menu was sumptuous, filling, unnerving, occasionally sickening but always holding to this side of acceptability. Raelli admits most of his customers opt for simpler fare – bird dung crab spider on toast, whip spider breadsticks, Maratus volans and potato soup. But he is willing, indeed eager, to stretch his culinary muscles for anyone willing to pay.
First Course
Black Widow Spider Bisque
A rich and velvety black garlic bisque, topped with a swirl of activated charcoal crema. Poached “venom pearls” made from sea urchin roe add a burst of umami, while a drizzle of spicy chilli oil mimics the allure of the roasted Black Widow. Accompanied by a shard of toasted brioche.
Second Course
Peacock Spider Pavé
A vibrant display of colours and flavours, this beetroot and carrot terrine is crafted to resemble the iridescent abdomen of the Peacock Spider. Served with a tangy hibiscus gelée and edible flowers, it is a celebration of visual decadence and textural intrigue and the only dish that does not contain an actual spider.
Third Course
Tarantal-Linguine
Fresh, hand-pulled linguine infused with shadow spider ink, creating a dark and mysterious backdrop for sautéed wild mushrooms and tender baby money spider. The dish is crowned with a crisp tempura tarantula leg and a dusting of smoked paprika, offering the perfect balance between land and sea.
Intermezzo
Dewdrop Sorbet
Inspired by the delicate dewdrops that rest on spider webs at dawn, this palate cleanser is a frozen infusion of lemon verbena and jasmine water, served with a grated Darwin’s bark spider garnish. Light, refreshing, and ephemeral—vanishing on the tongue like morning mist.
Main Course
Gooty Sapphire Roulade
A decadent roulade of slow-roasted Gooty Sapphire spider, stuffed with truffle butter and wrapped in prosciutto, served atop a bed of forbidden black rice. A rich, dark chocolate and red wine reduction pays homage to the enormity and power of the centrepiece arachnid. Finished with a crisp plantain “fang” for added flair.
Dessert
Web of Temptation
A towering spun-sugar web encases layers of dark chocolate crab spider mousse, hazelnut praline, and caramelised figs. As the web melts away under a pour of hot salted caramel sauce, the hidden indulgences within are revealed — both a visual and sensory delight.
Petit Fours
Spider Silk Meringues
Feather-light meringues infused with lavender essence, arranged in a delicate spiral pattern reminiscent of an orb-weaver’s web. Live and avaricious petit spiders appear as chocolate flecks but come alive in the heat forcing a duel between diner and predator on who gets to the coated fleas first. Paired with a glass of absinthe this is a heady and hallucinogenic experience.
Beverage Pairing
A carefully curated selection of natural spider-based wines, herbal infusions, and botanical elixirs has been handpicked to complement each dish’s unique flavours and textures.