Article by: The Culture Trip
Featured image by: © Barrel House Tavern
Every restaurant’s first priority is to provide patrons with delectable cuisine, but some also create spaces with an attention to design and aesthetic that set them apart from the rest. We take a look at 10 restaurants in the United States that boast unique and innovative design features.
Barrel House Tavern
Barrel House Tavern describes its food as fun, honest, and local. Visitors describe the atmosphere of Barrel House as gorgeous and romantic with a hint of old-school glamour. The historic building once housed ferries on the San Francisco Bay, and its new use and modern design take advantage of the antique charm. Guests enjoy sweeping views of the bay, its famous bridge and the city skyline. The interior uses warm woods and soft lighting to create a welcoming ambiance. The dramatically arched ceiling is decorated with recessed wine racks, stocked with locally-sourced labels. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the opposite side of the restaurant, diners can people-watch whilst cozying up to a contemporary hanging fireplace.
Barrel House Tavern 660 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA, USA
+1 415 729 9593
© Barrel House TavernThe Clement
Another restaurant on the list to have been designed by Yabu Pushelberg is Clement in New York. Located in The Peninsula Hotel on what is perhaps New York’s most famous street, 5th Avenue, this restaurant could be a destination all on its own. The interior is dripping with glamour and luxury, allowing diners to experience true fine dining. Crisp white tablecloths stand out against dark-colored wood walls, and large windows look down upon the life of the wealthy and elite of New York.
The Clement, 700 5th Ave, NY, USA
+1 212-903-3918
The General Muir
In the heart of the deep South lies an unexpected little restaurant – The General Muir. The General Muir serves up American fare heavily inspired by traditional Jewish Delis. Although this quaint restaurant seems like it could be a mom-and-pop sandwich shop, it boasts a James Beard recognized chef and multiple awards for both food and design. Square Feet Studio drew inspiration from a ship of the same name and from famous New York delis. The gingham floor pattern, white subway tiled walls and comfy booth seating create a nostalgic feel. A place like this is so unique and refreshing to the Atlanta food scene that it cannot be missed.
The General Muir 1540 Avenue, Atlanta, GA, USA
+1 678 927 9131
© The General MuirIsa
The restaurant’s interior, the menu, the food and the website are all evidence of a keen eye for design. Isa sits on the south side of the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Designed by Taavo Somer, this restaurant has been called peculiar, strange and quirky but the atmosphere is very inviting. Different colors and textures of wood are present everywhere, from floor to ceiling. Triangles are used nearly everywhere as well, on the entrance, on the wall to store wood for the oven, behind the bar to hold bottles and on the front line of the open kitchen. The attention to design continues right down to the menus, which are updated regularly with hand-scribbled text and collages of seemingly random images.
Isa, Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY, USA
+1 347 689 3594
Juvia Miami Beach
Juvia offers the perfect combination of an upscale, modern atmosphere and the laid-back attitude of a beach town. At this roof-top restaurant, guests can enjoy stunning views of the Miami Beach from both the indoor and outdoor spaces. Indoor, the decor is chic and sophisticated, with an amethyst-colored stone bar and clean lines. Outside, a vertical planter box offers an organic backdrop for plush beach-style sofas and rattan-woven chairs. Designer Alejandro barrios Carrero envisioned the space to provide a balance between both man-made and natural elements.
Juvia 1111 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach, FL, USA
+1 305 763 8272
© JuviaThe Musket Room
Since opening in the late summer of 2013, The Musket Room has garnered an impressive amount of attention. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star, won a Hospitality Design Award in Upscale Restaurant Design and received the Restaurant and Bar Design award for Best Restaurant in the Americas – all within its first year. The unpretentious and comfortable dining room combines weathered-looking exposed brick with richly hued azure upholstery. A seat overlooking the lively garden in the back is possibly the most enjoyable seat in town.
The Musket Room 265 Elizabeth St., NY, USA
+1 212 219 0764
© The Musket RoomNobu
In the city that has made a name for itself by being the brightest, flashiest, showiest city in the world, good design can be found in excess. Nobu is a prime example of the way that Las Vegas feels about being the best and brightest at everything. Nobu is located inside of Caesar’s Palace, just steps away from world-class shopping and a vast array of gambling money pit options. Architects at the Roxwell Group created the cathedral-height ceilings that are dotted with soft light fixtures resembling jellyfish, and the curved bamboo reeds pay homage to Japanese style and the cuisine that inspired the menu.
Nobu, Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV, USA
+1 702 785 6628
Pio Pio
Pio Pio’s authentic Peruvian food can be found in locations throughout Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan. Sebastian Mariscal Studio created the Hell’s Kitchen location, paying special attention to designing a space that gets visitors away from the noise and bustle of New York. The minimalistic design contrasts cold concrete marble with warm-toned wood and ocotillo canes. The space has prompted diners to applaud the restaurant’s atmosphere for its beautiful and expansive interiors and unique, unexpected use of materials. The intention was to craft an experience of mystery, discovery and contradiction and the expert designers have certainly exceeded that goal.
Pio Pio, 604 10th Avenue, NY, USA
+1 212 459 2929
Pump Room
The Pump Room is hardly new to the Chicago restaurant scene. The restaurant, located in the Public Hotel Chicago, opened in the 1930s and served celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart and Elizabeth Taylor. In 2011, the hotel changed ownership and the Pump Room was completely redesigned by Yabu Pushelberg. The dining room feels bright and airy, with a nod to the glamour of earlier years. Light, neutral-colored decor is warmly illuminated by hanging spheres of varying shapes and sizes. Though the new look is modern and very much in this century, a Saturday night meal still feels sophisticated and special.
The Pump Room, N State Pkwy., Chicago, IL, USA
+1 312 229 6740
SHED
SHED is in a league of its own. Whilst it does have a dine-in cafe, it is also a market and community gathering place, specializing in locally-sourced and responsible products. The building housing SHED’s noteworthy work was designed by Jensen Architects and closely resembles an actual farming shed. Designers used the shell of a classic large farm outbuilding and updated it, utilizing windows as all four walls, in order to display their fresh-from-the-farm wares. The interior is wide open and airy, displaying most products on open shelving. From the outside in, this restaurant, market and culinary community center has nothing to hide.
SHED, 25 North St., Healdsburg, CA, USA
+1 707 431 7433
