At Jsix restaurant, located adjacent to San Diego’s Hotel Solamar, the city’s humble beginnings inspire a design that mirrors an eclectic community. “The aesthetic has a sense of urban elegance,” explains Steve Rossi, owner of locally based Rossi Architecture.
Along with updating the restaurant’s look, Rossi was tasked with creating a private event space and improving access for the hotel guests. The first challenge came when the creation of the private event area eliminated the only interior access to the restaurant. “The guest had to walk through the main dining area to reach the restaurant greeting area,” Rossi explains. A new, elevated entry connects with the hotel’s porte cochere and overlooks the dining and bar area.
“The bar then became the spine of the space,” Rossi says. Because it needed to stay in its existing location, the team extended the bar, consequently creating a bridge between the lounge area and the main dining room. Facing a wall of white subway tiles and swathed in blue, the bar offers a look that is “clean and crisp without being overly contemporary,” Rossi adds. “The color palette incorporates soft gray and deep blue to create a neutral background for the variety of finish materials.”
A 14-person, stone-topped communal table matches with the bartop and contrasts with the rest of the reclaimed wood tables. Leather seating, exposed brick walls, and mustard yellow and blue banquettes continue an early-American aesthetic. “The materials work with each other to provide texture and interest, highlighting the unique light fixtures and art,” Rossi says.
Playing off the restaurant’s vintage photographs of the city when it was a shipping village, large-scale light fixtures provide focal points for the high ceilings and tie into the concept. “Each fixture is, in its own way, a subtle nod to San Diego’s fishing history,” explains Rossi. “The cage pendants are akin to lobster traps, the pendant lights liken to buoys, and the sconces resemble lighting you would find on a pier.” These massive fixtures not only add interest but also make the space seem larger while visually connecting the bar and dining areas.
The dining area harkens back to the menu, which was also overhauled. Crafted to fit a modern, yet simple idea of American food, executive chef Christian Grave’s cuisine complements the interior’s early American roots. “The chef and his food are a major factor in the success of the space,” says Rossi. “Without his vision and the commitment of the staff, the design has no soul.”
