Street Guys Hospitality has unveiled Buena Vida in the Washington, DC suburb of Arlington, Virginia. Designed by locally based CORE architecture + design, the Mexican “gastrolounge” occupies three floors that transport diners to the heart of the jungle. “The design awakens the guest’s sense of exploration,” says Allison Cooke, principal and director of hospitality design at CORE. “The design of Buena Vida delivers an honest Mexican culinary experience that is tied to natural ingredients, re-establishing the client’s original concept.”
The restaurant’s warm interior design is characterized by a neutral, earthy palette and layered textures—including velvet tie-dyed pillows to wooden millwork—that illustrate the ambiance of a jungle, complete with lush botanicals and exotic wallcoverings. Primitive, tactile graphic finishes are accentuated by an organic lighting design that creates moments of candlelit intimacy, while woven hammocks and rattan lamps enhance the space with an authentic, handcrafted energy.
The restaurant’s formerly exposed mezzanine was reimagined, without compromising a bird’s eye view of the dining room, as a treehouse swathed in wood and greenery. The ascent to Buena Vida’s rooftop was also crafted with cascading greenery and dark, moody hues to render an experience akin to climbing a tree in the jungle of Tulum. Outdoor bars and private dining booths are wrapped in a wooden structure draped in greenery, expanding upon the palette of the interior.
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