Despite arguably being the hospitality sector most greatly impacted by COVID-19, restaurants have continued to shine thanks to elevated design narratives and dynamic reinvention. Here are three projects readers found most delectable.
Zodiac Room
Photo courtesy of AvroKO
The now-shuttered Neiman Marcus outpost at New York City’s Hudson Yards was punctuated by a signature all-day F&B concept, the Zodiac Room. AvroKO took cues from the New Formalism architectural style to craft sleek, midcentury-inspired design, accentuated via arches, perforated brass, and a cool color story of slate blue and gray. Detailed with pleated lampshades and lantern forms, sculptural light fixtures are also installed to echo the iconic department store’s early days in 1950s Dallas. Read the full story.
Alderwood Santa Cruz
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Photography and foraging by chef Jeffrey Wall are at the foundation of the design of Alderwood Santa Cruz. Designed by Wall in collaboration with Atlanta-based Square Feet Studio, the vegetable-driven French eatery reinforces nature beyond its cuisine with spindle back chairs and felt ceiling baffles echoing organic forms. Plus, a blue palette channels the area’s bay waters. Copper elements, wood detailing, and beadboard panels further emphasize the great outdoors across the spacious coastal California dining room. Read the full story.
Monarque
Photo by Richard Powers
Atlas Restaurant Group’s steakhouse and dinner theater Monarque serves as a portal to Paris within a 19th-century structure in Baltimore’s Harbor East neighborhood. Locally based designer Patrick Sutton spearheaded the restoration of the site to accommodate a main dining room, bar, and private 20-seat dining room amid a moody and romantic atmosphere. Earthen tones like muted rust, moss green, and bleached walnut infuse a sense of antiquity throughout the concept, while diverse textures—ranging from mohair and velvet to antique mirror and marble—call to mind classic French bistros, brasseries, and burlesque clubs. Read the full story.
