Chef Johnny Spero has unveiled Bar Spero, his second concept in Washington, DC, in the city’s East End neighborhood. Outfitted with sleek architectural elements and bold modern focal points, the bar and grill was conceived by Streetsense as a convivial and eclectic social hub influenced by the Basque seafood fare on its menu.
“We pulled inspiration from a Spanish emphasis on simple shows of pristine ingredients as part of the guest experience,” says Edit at Streetsense senior design director Brian Miller. “The interior, like the food, is elemental and distinct, separating itself from the unadventurous dining rooms of DC’s past and present.”
The large, lofty interior contextualizes its scale with a lower bar carved out adjacent to the kitchen, while refrigerated displays serve as a backdrop for the host stand and bar. A palette comprising blonde wood, toffee leather, and cotton velvet seating infuse warmth across the atmosphere as well. Dramatic oceanic drapery softly juxtaposes thousands of custom glazed hex tiles wrapping the bar.
Ribbed glass panes obscure motion in the kitchen and reveal a peek of the kitchen’s central hearth, although the main focal points of the interior are the LED “mountain ranges.” The light fixtures serve as the concept’s visual signature, ascending from booths toward the ceiling in jagged forms reminiscent of mountains.
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