From intimate cocktail lounges and neighborhood bistros to destination dining concepts, today’s most compelling restaurants are embracing design as a key ingredient in the guest experience.
Here, we round up a dozen recently completed projects that marry bold creative visions with memorable hospitality, offering fresh inspiration from around the world.
Peridot, Hong Kong
Photo by Virgile Simon Bertrand
Swathed in soft green hues, Peridot Bar is a theatrical experience, where the choreography of movement is in dialogue with a sinuous architectural shell. Designed by Toronto-based Studio Paolo Ferrari, the interior is punctuated by 20,000 softly glowing, steel-capped frosted acrylic cylinders that reference minimalist and conceptual art, anchoring the space in an abstract yet sumptuous feeling. To add to the cinematic feel, mirrored finishes capture city views, reflecting the shimmer and shifting movement of the kinetic Hong Kong streets.
A standout of the design is the bar. Carved from green marble, this monumental piece adds another ethereal moment to the otherworldly design. Here, bartenders stir, shake, and mix drinks, heightening the experience while amplifying the performance at the center. The sense of discovery continues into a private room, home to a bespoke stainless steel and marble bottle display. “There’s a moment when the light begins to shift in the evening, as the tones warm and the reflections deepen, and the space becomes more intimate, almost suspended in time,” says studio founder Paolo Ferrari. “What I find most compelling is how everything begins to dissolve into one continuous atmosphere: light, material, movement, and people.”
Limusina, New York
Photo by Christian Harder
An exercise in “un-authenticity” and contrast reigns across the immersive Mexican concept designed by Brooklyn, New York-based GRT Architects. Grit and glam redolent of the 1980s imbues both intimacy and expansion across a former three-story warehouse bridging both glitzy Hudson Yards and rugged lower Midtown. Details like hand-dyed curtains bathe the raw bones of the interior in orange sherbert hues while establishing a sense of mystery about what’s inside. “Limusina is a new take on maximalism,” says GRT founding partner Rustam Mehta, “one that does not look to the past or to any fixed cultural reference point.”
The monumental backbar heralds guests with glowing panels that mask a clandestine 12-person dining room housed inside a lightbox. Violet hues command the palette in the form of handblown crown bullions used to glaze steel partitions. The hue also fills open red travertine pores to form an uncanny hybrid that edges the line between natural and manmade. Custom futuristic light fixtures illuminate imperfections like sloping floors, as well as artful touches like layered vegetal motifs that adorn rough concrete mushroom columns. Luxe chandeliers composed of colorful glowing tubes shrouded in handmade fabric and metal mesh further evoke what Mehta describes as the “layered retrofuturism of ‘Blade Runner’ where Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House—itself a riff on pre-Columbian architecture—is reinhabited and reimagined.”
Motorino, London
Photo by Mark Scott Photography
Rich, inviting color characterizes Motorino, a Fitzrovia restaurant conceived by local firm North End Design in collaboration with restaurateur Jonathan Downey. The 150-seat eatery echoes the cues of sister restaurant Town via a more expressive lens achieved through “feeling the room rather than design by 3D rendering,” says North End Design founder and creative director Samuel Hosker. “It was a far more organic way to design.”
Japanese and American boardrooms of the 1980s inform a stately and streamlined aesthetic that contrasts colorful punctuations inspired by the avant-garde flair of British graphics designers like Alan Aldridge and Hapshash and the Coloured Coat. A cutout even offers a glimpse into neighboring Fitzrovia Chapel for a dash of Byzantine style. The private dining room, meanwhile, is crafted akin to a 1970s recording studio with soft carpeting and timber panels that juxtapose pyrolave (a volcanic lava stone quarried in the Volvic region of France), lacquer paint finishes, velvet and sumptuous leather upholstery, reclaimed floors, and glossy ceramic tiles. “The biggest change was the introduction of the acoustic ceiling panels,” Hosker points out. “This created a deep forest green that makes the large dining room feel more snug.”
Egeo, Madrid
Photo courtesy of Masquespacio
Valencia, Spain-based Masquespacio dons a futuristic lens as it immerses guests in the ruins of Ancient Greece at Egeo. Inspired by the story of Pandora’s Box and its enduring message of hope, the concept evokes authenticity without relying on tropes of the nation’s coastal aesthetics. “We wanted guests to feel, for a moment, [like they are] in an environment that represents Greece, but not through the use of blue and white that we traditionally see used in this type of environment,” Masquespacio cofounder Christophe Penasse says. Soft beige tones and 3D-printed columns reminiscent of marble ensconce guests across the nearly 540-square-foot space. In addition to surfaces of stone and warm wood, tiles complement the earthy palette. “Madrid is especially saturated by an Art Deco vibe,” Penasse adds, “so this concept brings a [fresh] look for hospitality.”
Olia + Mimi, Edmonton, Alberta
Mimi; photo by Conrad Brown
Spread across 8,500 square feet, a new multi-venue F&B concept anchors a residential development in downtown Edmonton. The hub’s two key magnets—elegant Italian eatery Olia and sexy modern cocktail lounge Mimi—are both crafted by Vancouver firm Ste Marie to attract patrons with one design offsetting the other.
Channeling the refined intimacy of a private members club, Olia’s warm buttery glow invites guests to linger among custom Portuguese walnut tables and supple ecru leather benches. Creamy polished marble, high-gloss tawny-toned lacquered cabinets, and a bar clad with backlit fluted glass are each accented by oversized custom pendants emitting ambient color, texture, and rhythm to shift the mood as the space transitions from day to night. “We obviously wanted it to be immersive,” Ste Marie founder and creative director Craig Stanghetta says of Olia, “letting them fade a little bit more as a backdrop, creating just more volume rather than a sense of drama or contrast.”
Olia; photo by Conrad Brown
Artwork inspired by Italo disco and midcentury cinematic references drive Mimi’s uptempo vibe. Deep browns, glossy reds, and amber tones complement Rosso Rubino marble and chrome details, while custom burnt orange velvet sofas recall sunken lounges of the 1960s. Monolithic burled walnut panels further infuse a transportive quality to the space rounded out with optimal acoustics to support curated music and live DJs. “Mimi is the living room. This is where it’s more about lounging,” Stanghetta says. “We love the ethos, the era, the drama, the contrast. The concept just allows you to go all in.”
My Girl, Boston
Photo by Josh Jamison
The warm, expressive splendor of pre-Castro Cuba is revived by London designer Natalia Miyar across a subterranean blank canvas in Boston. Both intimate and energetic, My Girl envelops guests in a sensual palette rich in color and texture. “I was drawn to Cuba’s stylistic heritage, especially the way it layers materials, color, and art to create spaces that feel both intimate and alive,” Miyar says. “Ultimately, I wanted guests to feel transported.”
The jubilant lifestyle photography of early-20th-century Cuban magazine Social was a key muse for Miyar, who transmutes images of convivial Cuba into a sumptuous color story of blush, coral, and gold. The palette forms a backdrop for rich velvet and Art Deco accents to imbue the tropics, while plush upholstered booths and low-slung lounge tables establish intimacy. Details, like handpainted lamp shades and coral-colored walls honoring the work of artist Wifredo Lam, further enrich the cultural narrative along with a range of contemporary Cuban artwork. Handmade bronze-glazed ceramic tiles, varying in size and shade, adorn columns “to catch the light and create depth and movement,” Miyar adds. “Every material was chosen to enhance that sense of depth, texture, and atmosphere.”
Bistro Siège Social, Longueuil, Quebec
Photo by Alex Lesage
When conceiving the Quebec eatery, local firm Blanchette Archi.design embraced an unexpected source of inspiration: the office. Housed within a postmodern corporate lobby, the restaurant occupies a vernacular reminiscent of the 1960s and ’70s that interior design project manager Sarah Arsenault found fruitful. “The design embraces its formal rigor, modular grids, and material expression, and reinterprets them through a softer, more contemporary lens,” she says. “The project draws from postmodernist interiors of that era, especially their earthy palettes, bold textures, and strong geometries, but refines them to feel timeless rather than nostalgic.”
Thoughtful lighting, modular ceilings, stone cladding, and repetitive tile patterns support the restaurant’s transition from bright daytime café to sexy evening bistro. Matte white ceramic tiles wrap vertical surfaces and integrated millwork, reinterpreting existing stone grids into a unified, rhythmic motif. Travertine-style porcelain also echoes postmodern aesthetics along with filtered glass partitions and updated ceilings inspired by vertical blinds. Wood finishes and dark walnut tones infuse warmth in the café, while lighter notes of oak in the bistro amplify openness and conviviality. Terracotta, integrated greenery, and rich velvets in olive and rust tones also distinguish the bistro with textural depth. “We wanted guests to feel a subtle sense of familiarity while experiencing a shift toward comfort and sociability,” Arsenault says.
Genso, Hong Kong
Photo by Common Studio
At Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, Genso pulls guests into a nostalgic, fantastical depiction of equestrian culture. For the bi-level restaurant, local- and London-based Joyce Wang Studio found inspiration in the sci-fi film “Blade Runner,” as well as the art of manga and Golden Gai, Tokyo’s bar-laden nightlife hub.
On the ground floor, Japanese street food takes center stage at Fudo Town Hall, and studio founder and principal Joyce Wang relishes the subtle shifts between the motley stalls. “Each counter features its unique graphic language through expression in signage, wallcovering, tile pattern, and menu collaterals. Yet, the overarching theme of retrofuturism stitches their identities together cohesively,” she says.
Upstairs, Izakaya beckons with its suspended walkway of neon-wrapped floating islands, a “defining moment within the space,” Wang adds, “drawing the eye and staging the layered, cinematic backdrop. There’s a notable feeling of drama to the elevated nooks, which sit poised above the action.” Further, a playful energy permeates Genso thanks to the marriage of bold teal, aqua, orange, and peach hues. Lantern-embellished ceilings and columns enveloped in ceramic tiles call to mind an animated Tokyo streetscape and the façades defining it, while upholstery motifs, midcentury geometrical details, and wood finishes add jolts of sophistication.
Ultimately, the racecourse is at the core of Wong’s narrative. “Our design was very much about framing the views of the race,” she says, “carving out a sequence of viewing points and crafting an environment that celebrates and amplifies the atmosphere of the track.”
Loqa, Hyderabad, India
Photo by Pankaj Anand
Seeking transcendence in Hyderabad, India? Look no further than Loqa, a cocktail lounge crafted by local firm Sona Reddy Studio that ushers guests into a timeless elsewhere. “The environment is designed to slow things down, allowing people to settle into the moment rather than feel rushed,” says principal architect Sona Reddy. “Loqa encourages a more personal experience, where guests feel received individually and can connect more closely with the space and with each other.”
Subdued lighting and immersive materials inspire a quieter spatial rhythm across narrow interiors, where a dense canopy of bamboo rods evokes intimacy and acoustic support. “Its lightness contrasts with the solidity of the materials below, giving the space a slightly dreamlike quality,” Reddy adds. Green marble walls, tabletops, and bartops also add depth with rich tones and sheens that counterbalance the bamboo. A curious grid of stone slabs and hemispherical elements round out the design. “In a local F&B landscape often shaped by strong themes, nostalgia-driven aesthetics, or high-energy spectacle, Loqa takes a quieter and more introspective approach,” Reddy explains. “Rather than competing for attention through visual excess, the space draws guests inward.”
Seoul, New Delhi
Photo by Yash R Jain
As toothsome as Korean cuisine looks and tastes, its oils, grills, and hot pots demand the utmost endurance of restaurant surfaces. To fashion a space for Korean-Indian concept Seoul, Urban Mistrii conceived a palette rich with cultural cues as durable as they are authentic. “The inspiration stemmed from the Japandi design ethos: minimal, functional, and timeless,” says Ritika Rakhiani, founder of the local firm. “We wanted to create a Korean dining space that feels calm and uncluttered yet can withstand the practical realities of the cuisine.”
Clean lines and proportions establish an open, inviting layout with effortless flow. Granite and veneers, meanwhile, incite dialogue between Indian sensibility and Korean tradition beneath stretched ceiling fabrics. Gray walls are finished in textured paint for extra depth as they showcase oil paintings reinterpreting traditional Korean layered paintings that capture myriad quotidian scenes. Suspended above black marble tables, Korean stainless steel chimneys are painted in a warm copper tone to accent the earthy materiality. “Every material was selected to endure deep cleaning and the wear-and-tear of heavy use without losing its elegance,” Rakhiani adds.
Bocado Collingwood, Collingwood, Ontario
Photo by Scott Norsworthy
Convivial tapas gatherings are a beloved ritual in Spain, and Toronto-based design studio Nivek Rimas was intent on bringing that warmth to Bocado Collingwood, the second Ontario outpost of the seasonally driven, Spanish-influenced restaurant. So, partners and cofounders Samer Shaath and Kevin Chan headed to Madrid on a research trip, diving into this essential slice of culinary culture defined by day-into-night shared plates.
At Bocado Collingwood, located some two hours north of Toronto, “we want diners to feel transported yet at ease,” Shaath says. “The experience is designed to shift with the energy of the room, whether it’s lively and social or more private and understated. To us, it should always be grounded in comfort and connection.”
To achieve this, the duo reinterpreted traditional hacienda architecture “through a modern, rustic lens to create a residential atmosphere,” adds Shaath. Done up in coastal shades of sand and oceanic blue, Bocado Collingwood stars a sculptural tile-clad bar. The heart of the restaurant, the bar is packed and vibrant but is intentionally juxtaposed with “quiet architectural gestures,” as Chan puts it.
These elements include earthy plasterwork, gentle arches with “corners that dissolve rather than terminate, and the cove ceilings that subtly reveal the beam structure above,” Chan describes. Flowing drapery also cleverly forges thresholds, a spatial solution that organically shapes movement throughout. “What’s not immediately apparent is how much experimentation informed the final result,” he adds. “It’s a reminder that good design isn’t always about excess, but about how thoughtfully you approach each decision.”
This article originally appeared in HD’s April 2026 issue.