Sketch, London
The Millennial's paradise
The crown jewel of restaurateur Mourad Mazouz, Sketch brings together creative minds with different styles under the roof of a Mayfair townhouse. Each of the five dining rooms are designed as a state-of-the-art gallery, with new installations every two years. The Gallery tea room’s monochromatic pink colour scheme and chevron-patterned floor is the vision of Paris-based designer India Mahdavi. This is a soft contrast to the latest installation by celebrated British artist David Shrigley, whose 239 satirical black-and-white illustrations dot the now “millennial pink” walls.
Beta Bar, Sydney
A Grecian twist
Taking on the old principle of a Greek mezze bar and giving it a modern twist, this is the sister to Sydney’s iconic Greek eatery, Alpha. This 200-seater bar and events space fills the vast upper floor of the Hellenic Club, with its luxe and moody interior designed by Paul Papadopoulos of creative studio DS17. Making use of historic original features – the exposed brickwork, arches, heritage windows and honeycomb ceiling – Papadopoulos softens the space with metallic and pastel accents, contemporary rugs and leather furnishings.
Foxglove, Hong Kong
Poison of choice
NC Design and Architecture – a young design firm in Hong Kong – is no stranger to creating thoughtfully engaging spaces through cinematic storytelling. Disguised as an elegant umbrella boutique with a secret door towards the back, Foxglove is a nod to quintessential British heritage. Inspired by first-class aeroplanes, trains and vintage cars, this speakeasy is reminiscent of everything a discerning English gentleman revels in. A dramatically sculpted cream-coloured ceiling wraps around the main lounge and silver-grey marble top cocktail bar, contrasting the rich palette of the leather seats and parquet flooring.
Comptoir, Paris
The Ghetto Museum
Along the Canal Saint-Martin and behind a street art mural is this offbeat, easy-going multi-purpose venue for music, film, fashion and dance. Celebrating Françafrique culture, it’s a restaurant, bar, gallery and shop rolled into one. There’s an unusual mix of Colonial-style furnishings, shabby tiled floors and African souvenirs – you’ll never quite know what to expect here, but you can’t wait to find out.
Le Coucou, New York
Alice’s Adventures in SoHo
The decorative elements of this Standefer and Alesch-designed French restaurant were received with as much fanfare as Daniel Rose’s menu – simple, mischievous, and larger than life. Setting the tone for the space is a hand-painted mural by New York-based artist, Dean Barger. It was the “lyricism we felt the bar needed, a foliage-ensconced refuge with rich colours animated by shadows and movement from the street,” explains Standefer. But while exquisite, there’s an intimacy of the place that reminds guests of the comforts of a dinner party at home.
Pink Moon, Adelaide
Little hut, big personality
Taking on a man-in-nature theme, Pink Moon Saloon serves up an outdoor adventure in a pair of traditional village huts. Sans Arc Studio wanted the space to evoke the joys of forest dwelling and eating around a campfire. The first hut is an intimate drinking den, and past the courtyard into the back cabin, co-owner and chef Matthew Standen serves up a variety of slow-cooked meats from a wood-fired brick oven.
The Warehouse, Singapore
The godown slowdown
This trio of warehouse buildings set along Robertson Quay have been converted into a hotel by design studio Asylum and architects Zarch Collaboratives. It’s interior references the rich industrial history of the iconic building, made prevalent in the height of Singapore’s spice trade. It was notorious as a hotbed for secret societies and illegal spirit distilling, before it turned into a raging discotheque in the 1980s. They’ve kept some of the original features including a brick wall and the exposed roof trusses and freshened it up with a white-painted ceiling, grey floor tiling and soft leather furnishings.
Nikunotoriko, Roppongi
Nature’s wonders
This grilled meats restaurant in Japan brings guests back down to earth with its unique dining experience in a natural setting on both floors. The first floor is an appreciation of the Grand Canyon, with a long glass table cleverly designed to mirror the flow of a river. The experience is most impressive in the evenings as the lights come on and creates shadows along the walls.
Väkst, Copenhagen
Fit for hygge
Nordic restaurant Väkst, translated as “growth” in English, is as the name suggests – built on environmental sustainability. The garden-inspired space compliments the vegetable-based menu, which places emphasis on quality and the local sourcing of ingredients.
“We wanted to recreate the mood that surrounds a garden party,” explains founder Torben Klitbo. The centrepiece of the space is an indoor greenhouse connecting the two floors. Built from recycled materials, it aims to reduce waste and add to the restaurant’s authenticity.
