Design Review: Bread Street Kitchen
A large, glazed, triple height unit in a brand new shopping centre might not seem like the ideal location for an intimate, relaxed restaurant with a vintage feel. But, at the Bread Street Kitchen, Russel Sage Studio (who also designed the
Zetter Townhouse hotel we reviewed last year) have managed to create a characterful and surprisingly atmospheric environment in just such a space.
The restaurant, offering a whopping 300 covers, is split over two floors with a bar on the ground floor and the main restaurant on the first floor. Intimacy is skillfully created in this huge space by dividing it up into smaller areas each with their own individual features and identity. The look is fashionably eclectic, mixing industrial and reclaimed materials with vintage pieces and traditional elements. Illuminated timber clad columns and traditionally styled brass fittings suggest the grandeur of a Victorian railway station whilst steel, mesh and exposed ductwork add a more edgy and contemporary feel. The traditional black and white chequerboard floor, dark wood and tungsten lighting help to create a warm and friendly ambiance and a hint of period style sophistication.
Customers can see their food being prepared in the long open kitchen running most of the length of the restaurant which provides a dynamic backdrop linking the dining areas together. At high level a wine display of around 2000 bottles lines the balcony serving to illustrate the restaurant’s considerable drinks offer as well as create an eye catching feature.
On the down side the acoustics aren’t brilliant. The trend for hard surfaces such as concrete, steel and tiles has made this quite a common problem recently. High ceilings exacerbate the problem here and there’s really very little in the way of softer surfaces to help absorb sound. The restaurant does contain quite a few ‘well used’ design elements too (white brick-bond tiles, retro furniture, industrial lighting etc) but I think it has enough original ideas on top of these to avoid feeling too clichéd. Overall, the attention to detail, quality finish and skillful space planning make the Bread Street Kitchen an interesting and enjoyable place to be.
Thank you to Gordon Ramsay Holdings for the photos.
You may also be interested in our review of the Zetter Townhouse hotel, Dishoom restaurant and the Tommyfield pub
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