A collection of thriving espresso and cocktail bars across London, as well as a recording studio inside its original Shoreditch outpost, inspired Grind & Co. to expand their reach by debuting a full-scale, all-day, late-night restaurant—the brand’s ninth location. The two-story Clerkenwell Grind, set in a circa-1870s warehouse in London’s East End, is the handiwork of Biasol. The studio, located on the outskirts of Melbourne, has collaborated with Grind cofounders David Abrahamovitch and Kaz James since early 2012.
“This project represented the next step in the growth of their business,” says principal Jean-Pierre Biasol. “From a design perspective, this meant redefining the visual language that we developed for their other locations and building a new flagship that would set the direction for their future venues: a dynamic new take on the contemporary British dining experience.”
To achieve the retro-inspired yet elegant interior, the firm separated the 2,800-square-foot space into four zones: the main dining room, cocktail bar, and private dining space at ground level, and a basement area that houses a more intimate bar and open kitchen.
Underneath chevron-patterned timber in the main dining room, a navy blue velvet banquette wraps around the walls. Biasol chose “light and elegant” furniture throughout the space, including circular, square, and rectangular configurations of tables topped in marble that are further amplified by Danish chairs upholstered in dusty pink. Slender brass lamps and beautifully worn timber floors nod to the space’s history, Biasol explains, while overhead, angled oval mirrors “create unexpected connections between groups
of diners.”
A casual dining zone features a second banquette in blush-hued velvet, which looks to the main bar, clad in herringbone-patterned Carrara marble tiles. The downstairs bar is decidedly more relaxed, with delicate materials like chairs wrapped in pale pink, brass-legged stools, and high and low marble tables. Here, chevron timber-paneled walls appear above a teal velvet banquette, while bulbous countertop lamps create a moody lighting scheme.
