10 Beautiful Places to Eat Out
I have seriously missed restaurants! Galleries, shops, restaurants -the backdrop of Metropolitan culture, surfaces some of the best inspiration for my design work and I’ve felt the absence of these big time. Now lockdown is starting to ease in London, and we can enjoy a cheaper meal out, (thanks Rishi) I thought I would summarise 10 of my favourite restaurants interiors. Not only do these restaurants serve up epic food, but they deliver a vibe that is so pivotal to the experience of being out, something that we have all been deprived of as of late and craving!
So here they are in no particular order. Let me know what you think…
The River Cafe, Hammersmith. The 80’s powerhouse with its bold blue carpet, mirroring the blue Crittall windows the span across the whole structure. The pink pizza oven that sits centrally to the open kitchen is iconic and you can’t pull your eyes away.
Coal Rooms, Peckham. The best thing, apart from the delicious food, is genuinely the loos. The structure sits within the old Peckham Railway station and the loos served the public till 1930 when they were bricked up and forgotten about for 50 years till the architect discovered them by looking at historic plans. Now restored and filled with palms and glossy white tiles they feel like you’re stepping back in time.
Humble Pizza, Chelsea. Lively and bold with a minimal palette. Humble pizza is dramatic and is a homage to a modern day greasy spoon with its formica surfaces and banquette seating.
Ikoyi, Piccadilly. Soulful and earthy, this space is striking and contemporary. Modernist seating and ochre banquette seating teamed with terrazzo underfoot with an enormous canvas pulling together the palette.
Kudu, Peckham. On my home turf - the raw dusty rose walls, the walnut wood and velvet teal banquette seating feels like you’re in a slick mid-century come industrial oasis.
Lina Stores, Soho. A minimal palette in the form of pistachio green-tiles, sleek aluminium and formica countertop, padded green leather stools and fluted glass panels. It’s raw walls and contrasting sleek aluminium, paired with the padded seating nod towards the Art Deco era, in which the store was first established.
Spring, Somerset House. A light filled, pastel hued, dreamy dining room. Filled with marble, lighting in the form of gleaming brass lamps and glowy bubble chandeliers like clouds above the bar.
Piranha, Balham. Colour and flow are key design pillars in this diner. Powder blue mosaics, wood panelling and red steel framework combined create a playful and earthy aesthetic.
Yaffa, Copenhagen. Not in England, but in a city that’s top of my list. This large concrete space is anchored by this beautiful large counter top painted with umber, pale-yellow and navy.
Casaplata, Seville. Another overseas and maybe one for the future rather than right now but I was so drawn to these sunny hues against the greyscale of concrete.