Design Challenge and Design Ideas

Having worked previously worked for the likes of Gary Rhodes & Gordon Ramsey, our client’s expectations, in terms of the fit-out, were high. The brief was to create a sophisticated dining room with views to the kitchen, the client wanted good visual connection between the two to provide an interaction between kitchen and dining room, and enable customers to enjoy the theater of the kitchen.
The unit was previously a retail outlet & had no drainage or water supply in the positions required, the contractor had to build new drains and track the existing concrete floor, there was also the matter of installing extraction ductwork to a level above the eaves of the 7 storey building that the unit occupied. These issues made a significant impact on the project budget and we had to become evermore resourceful to ensure that the space we delivered lived up to the client’s expectations.

How the brief was fulfilled

We worked extremely closely with the client on the layout of the kitchen, back of house and dining room. The balance of square footage given over to front of back of house areas was crucial in this project to ensure for both smooth running of the kitchen and optimum covers in the dining room.
One of the key features of the kitchen was to be the Bertha oven, the entire dining room was designed to maximise views to this in the open kitchen. We also included a dining counter along the pass to allow customers to view the entire process of their food preparation from the oven to the plate.
All of the finishes and furniture for the project had to offer the client best value for money on an extremely limited budget, but at the same time convey the look and feel that was expected. We worked closely with David Scott tiles to ensure that the bar front and WC tiling was rich and elegant but still within budget. We also worked closely with the client’s graphic designer, Rachel Graham, to ensure that the signage & menu design tied in with the overall feel of the restaurant and included some of the graphic internally to break up a large stretch of blank wall.