DesignLSM worked closely with the client to create a truly authentic environment in which patrons can immerse themselves into Indian cuisine and culture, making a memorable dining experience.
The restaurant itself is a large space, which has a variety of seating areas – relaxed, formal, private and a large conservatory – each of which needed redefining and harmonising with an overall interior concept. DesignLSM draw upon the restaurant’s established heritage and emphasized its colonial style. This included sourcing furniture hand crafted from India, original photos from the period and commissioning artwork from a renowned Indian artist – which was painted onto a large canvas and carefully shipped to the UK for installation.
A prominent feature is the bar, which has been designed to replicate an open drinks cabinet. The surrounding bar is topped with black veined marble complete with a brass trim and black hexagonal tiles on the front. Handmade brass pendants and wall lights, all crafted in India, provide ambient low level lighting. The room is furnished with an intricately patterned handmade rug, antique wooden concertina screen, plantation shutters and an eclectic mix of framed photographs depicting colonial scenes.
A distinctive aspect of the restaurant is the large circular conservatory – the designers stripped this area back, removed cladding to expose the metal structure and with the addition of planting created a setting reminiscent of a tropical ‘orangery’. The lighting within the conservatory required careful consideration, to create different atmospheres dependent upon the time of day – fresh, vibrant during the day, whilst in the evening a more intimate warm setting.