THE JOURNAL
Circolo Popolare. Photograph by Mr Jérôme Galland, courtesy of Big Mamma
Blonde wood and concrete floors be gone. This year we’ve witnessed a vibrant new wave of more-is-more, design-led restaurants that are turning the tables on the pared-back minimalism that has shaped our world over the past decade. Whether an easy win for attracting a generation of diners as keen to post their experience as peruse the menu, or reflective of a wider need to cheer ourselves up in sombre times, restaurant designers are reinventing the wheel with panache. From vintage decor and custom murals to pot-plant jungles and saturated colours, we round up some of the loudest venues bringing diners cheer on both sides of the Atlantic.
Annabel’s, London
Photograph by Mr James McDonald, courtesy of The Birley Clubs
With a history stretching back to the 1960s, Annabel’s private members’ club – and favourite of the royals – received a high-profile revamp last year, courtesy of influential designer Mr Martin Brudnizki and his eponymous studio. Ensconced in a Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse in Mayfair, Annabel’s newly minted interior is a masterclass in opulence and features oversized chandeliers, print-on-print textiles and a statement unicorn sculpture as well as decadent bathrooms with onyx sinks and ceilings covered in thousands of pink-silk flowers, all of which embody Mr Brudnizki’s stated desire to showcase British eccentricity.
Circolo Popolare, London
Left: Circolo Popolare. Photograph by Jérôme Galland, courtesy of Big Mamma. Right: Emrata Burrata pizza. Photograph by Ms Joann Pai, courtesy of Big Mamma
Having made their name with big-hitting restaurants across Paris, Big Mamma founders Messrs Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux set their sights on London this year with not one but two tongue-in-cheek Italian trattorias. Hot on the heels of Gloria in Shoreditch, whose kitsch interior modelled on 1950s Capri has had queues outside its ivy-clad facade since February, this summer’s launch of Circolo Popolare has brought a similarly loud-and-proud vibe to Fitzrovia. Inspired by OTT Sicilian weddings and draped with hundreds of festoon lights and wisteria, its all-day dining menu includes metre-long pizzas, cicchetti and satisfyingly over-the-top ice cream sundaes.
Bob Bob Cité, London
Photograph by Sim Canetty-Clarke, courtesy of Bob Bob Cité
It’s been 11 years since the launch of Bob Bob Ricard in Soho, which, with “press for champagne” buttons in gilded booths inspired by the Orient Express, swiftly established itself as a star of London’s restaurant scene. This summer, its founder, Mr Leonid Shutov, launched the ritzy Bob Bob Cité as a follow-up and raised the design stakes in a glossy space suspended above the atrium of the Leadenhall Building in the City. Champagne buttons intact, this bold design also features 25 bespoke chandeliers, miles of mirrored trim and wall panels clad with Japanese bookbinding paper. First-class cocktails and Michelin-star chef Mr Eric Chavot’s finessed French menu is proving a winning formula.
Legacy Records, New York
Left: Legacy Records. Photograph by Mr Douglas Friedman, courtesy of Legacy Records. Right: Crudo. Photograph by Ms Robyn Lehr, courtesy of Legacy Records
One of the first tenants of New York’s vast new Hudson Yards development, Legacy Records set up in the summer of last year on the site of a former recording studio of the same name. While a menu inspired by Italy’s northern shores is worthy of plaudits (think grilled octopus, or casoncelli with artichoke), Legacy Records’ high-glam design is also proving a draw. Split across multiple floors, this 85-seat restaurant’s hugely impressive central bar comes heavy on marble, brass and leather with a colourful modern art collection adorning the walls, while in the upstairs lounge, block colours, a chequerboard floor and a Mr Marvin Gaye-inspired mural lend it an eclectic charm.
Pietro Nolita, New York
Photograph courtesy of Pietro Nolita
This rose-tinted restaurant on a quiet street in NoLita was always going to be an Instagrammer’s dream, with its floor-to-ceiling pink tones colouring both interior and exterior, a theme broken up only by pot plants and strip neon lighting. With design references that include the Memphis Group and Mr Gio Ponti, this single-minded, pastel-hued diner opened three years ago and serves healthy Italian food inspired by co-founder Mr Pietro Quaglia’s upbringing in Milan, although it’s quite possibly the flamboyant design that helps to keep the queues constant.
The Lobster Club, New York
Photograph by Mr Scott Frances, courtesy of The Lobster Club
This upmarket Japanese brasserie in Midtown’s Seagram Building opened to much fanfare two years ago, its decadent sushi and teppanyaki menus matched by equally extravagant design. Creative director Mr Peter Marino’s client list includes Louis Vuitton, Dior and Chanel and, naming Mr Pablo Picasso as his inspiration here, he’s tricked out The Lobster Club with salmon pink and chartreuse textiles, angular sculptures, artful ceramics and a statement onyx and bronze bar.