The dining experience has become a national obsession in the UK – part of our social wellbeing and a key cornerstone in our day.
This has seen extra emphasis placed on how we create intriguing restaurant environments to make for an unforgettable experience.
“People are looking for dining experiences that engage all of their senses, enhance their knowledge and satiate their curiosity and sense of adventure,” said Carla Lavery from Design LSM.
“This has evolved rapidly over the last few years. Dining has become much more social and the traditional ‘rules and times of day’ associated with eating no longer apply.
“Recently we have seen an increase in the number of ‘experience-led’ concepts or pop-ups, tie-ins with brands or media ‘institutions’ – such as Game of Thrones banquets or theatrical dining pieces – such as Dinner with The Twits’.”
Consumers are demanding more from eating out and with this comes great opportunity to explore and create. Carla added: “The marriage between food and drink is becoming stronger with several new concepts that place greater emphasis on the pairing of the two to enhance the experience.
“There remains a greater desire to learn and understand more about the food, its provenance and feel more connected to the cooking process. The increase in, and easy of which people can now travel abroad; coupled with the instant access to online information regarding international cuisines, has seen consumers’ evermore eager to explore and experience a wide variety of flavours, cuisines and produce.”
Our most recent restaurant project with Carla’s team and design practice has seen the opening of London’s The Coal Shed restaurant, specialising in steak and following in the footsteps of the successful restaurant already operating in Brighton.
“We are delighted with the design results, which perfectly capture the ambience and tone of the restaurant offering,” she said. “The colour and finish of Viero UK’s Lithos Matt offers a refined and luxurious feel that is well suited to repurposed schemes.”
When asked what she likes most about restaurant projects, Carla explained: “These projects allow our designers to challenge the status quo of ‘conventional’ and create stand out destinations, designing immersive and exceptional spaces.”
