Bottles

A southern Italian organic wine-bar and small plates restaurant integrated into the heart of London’s famous Old Spitalfields Market.

The restaurant is serviced by a fully equipped commercial kitchen incorporated into one third of the basement level; the building has a listed timber and glazed brick façade and plenty of Victorian brickwork on display inside. The amenity and privacy of the residential neighbours above the restaurant was an important factor adding to the design challenges of this vibrant location.

Our approach was to combine authentic rustic continental materials such as vintage Italian newspaper, European scaffolding boards and wine-crates with crisp forms and enriching modern finishes in the washrooms to formulate an atmospheric contrast that would feel clean, comfortable, luxurious, informal and relaxed fused together with a hint of modernism and a seriousness of purpose reflecting the client’s aspirations.

Grey cement plaster countertops and sculptural exterior seating offered an affordable alternative to cast concrete and the “Bottles” branding was carried into the scheme with gold and ruby leaf designs arranged to inject some vibrant colour and a sense of playfulness into the interior spaces.