Nestled on a prime corner location in the heart of New York’s West Village, the Spaniard from Brooklyn-based Home Studios is a contemporary and eclectic take on a classic Irish pub combining “European tradition with these classic American bars and steakhouses that have been around for 150 years in some cases,” principal Oliver Haslegrave. Throughout the restaurant, an inviting, casual environment establishes a nostalgic neighborhood identity. “You’re coming to have a good time, whatever that means for you,” he adds.

The space features experimental elements like black marble detailing on walls inspired by Art Deco style, industrial fixtures with dual-sided globes, and the firm’s take on “the snug.” Traditionally a small, private, or semiprivate room within a pub for those who don’t wish to be seen (frosted glass above seated head height typically looked out on the bar), the Spaniard’s version is defined by a floral upholstered booth that sits below a mural of a misty forest scene (inspired by Gustave Courbet paintings). Most of the furnishings are custom made, such as the oversized, elevated banquettes with waterfall detailing in the upholstery, speaker boxes, velvet curtains, and the backbar in various cabinet sizes highlighting its “nooks and crannies.”

Original details include the inherited brick and steel barrel-vaulted ceiling and an old pay phone left in the corner only, which only adds to the pub’s charm. The phone is “just one of those quirky things that make a place endearing,” he says. Seating ranges from banquettes to mauve, burgundy, and green plush barstools and vignette chairs “sourced in the South and then refinished,” he says. “All materials we chose had to feel indebted to history.”

Adding a final layer to the theme is an old school letter board above the bar that showcases the pub’s more than 100 whiskey options. From the illuminated lights above to the garnish of the handcrafted cocktail, “you want every detail to be considered,” Haslegrave says.