DRINK & DINE IN A RELAXED & WELCOMING RESTAURANT WITH A WONDERFUL VIEW ALONGSIDE THE RIVER THAMES

PizzaExpress asked us to re-design their restaurant in an amazing location of Bankside, London with its cityscape views across the River Thames. The challenge was to create a warmer, inviting restaurant with increased covers, a new cocktail bar and luxurious private dining areas.

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To increase covers, we worked with a structural engineer to fill in the voids on the first floor, allowing greater dining capacity, a substantial new back bar and a larger restroom.

We extended under a cantilevered section of the shopfront to allow for an additional private dining area, with a magnificent vista overlooking Saint Pauls Cathedral. The private dining areas are segmented from the main restaurant with timber slatted screens and can also be sectioned off with plush velvet curtains to make the dining experience feel special and luxurious.

The addition of a bar was identified a key element in transforming the restaurant. Our bar design incorporated a slatted timber screen that radiated around the bar, highlighting this as a feature. A mixture of fixed and loose furniture created flexibility, accommodating small or large groups. A range of seating types that included lounge furniture was arranged to maximise space by the bar area.

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We designed many bespoke items to ensure the restaurant was unique, including furniture, decorative lighting and the wallpaper which made a striking impact in the restrooms and  upper floor area. The lighting was a crucial design element; to create a warm and inviting glow, we used concealed lighting at the bar, vertical LEDs between timber slats which continue inside from the shopfront and linear ceiling lights that radiate from the perimeter of the bar.

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The considered response to the location and the addition of bespoke details all helped to ensure this restaurant offered something uniquely special.

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