While the 2022 thriller movie The Menu may be a bottle movie, it has a surprising amount of filming locations. The Menu's creepy island restaurant wasn't so simple to put together, as Chef Slowik's Hawthorn restaurant required the use of several real-life islands and parks. The Menu is one of the most acclaimed movies of 2022, leading many to wonder how it was made, including where it was filmed.
The Menu follows a group of wealthy food critics, businessmen, celebrities, and more as they travel to a private island in order to eat at an exclusive restaurant run by a famous chef named Julian Slowik. Once there, the guests soon realize that everything is not as it seems, with the group facing various terrors as bodies start dropping due to the actions of Chef Slowik and his team of cooks. The Menu is a bottle movie, with it almost entirely taking place either inside the Hawthorn restaurant or on the surrounding island. There's a lot to cover, so here is every filming location used for The Menu.
Jekyll Island - Georgia
The Menu was initially supposed to be shot in Scotland, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production was moved to Georgia. While the interior of Hawthorn was entirely built on a set, with the exits covered by blue screens, the film did use three real islands for filming. Jekyll Island is a small land mass in Glynn County, Georgia, with it lying off the coast of southeast Georgia. Jekyll Island can be seen when Margot and The Menu's other characters initially arrive on the private island, with Jekyll Island doubling as the coast that the group first arrives on.
Tybee Island - Georgia
Tybee Island is another location used in the filming of The Menu, with the production using it for several of the film's outdoor shots (although there aren't that many). Tybee Island is a barrier island known for its beaches, with it being located in Savannah, Georgia. However, this is only the second island used in The Menu.
Hampton Island - Georgia
Hampton Island is the third and final island used in The Menu, with the island's forest and swampy marshes being used for the film. Hampton Island was used for many of the shots in which The Menu's various characters are in the wilderness, but not on a beach. Interestingly enough, Hampton Island is a hot spot for some celebrities, with Ben Affleck's Georgia house being located there.
Fort McAllister State Park - Georgia
Fort McAllister State Park is another location used when shooting The Menu. Like many of The Menu's other filming areas, Fort McAllister State Park is also known for its natural landscapes, with the lush green plains and mountainous region offering a beautiful view of several bodies of water. This was also used for various shots of the private island surrounding Hawthorn. It was most likely chosen due to it being easier to access and film on than an island would be.
Savannah, Georgia
Most of The Menu was filmed around Georgia, but some of it was actually filmed inside the historic city of Savannah, Georgia. Before The Menu delves into horror, some of the film's earlier shots include Savannah's skyline as a backdrop. The Skidway Island Community Gardens are also used as a filming location, with them being part of one of Savannah's state parks. Even though The Menu mostly takes place in one location, the production's filming locations was all over Georgia, proving how difficult filmmaking can be.