F+B News | Hospitality Design

Kabawa Brings Caribbean Warmth to the Table in New York

Stephanie Chen — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:00:57 +0000

Chef Paul Carmichael and Momofuku have unveiled Kabawa and Bar Kabawa, a restaurant and adjacent 24-seat daiquiri and wine bar in New York that pay homage to Caribbean culture, cuisine, and craftsmanship.

A love letter to island life

Designed in collaboration with Joseph Alayón Ormaza of New York- and Puerto Rico-based based studio SUITE, the split-space concept channels the energy and hospitality of a Caribbean family home.

While rooted in a shared visual language of bold color, natural materials, and layered artistry, Kabawa evokes the feel of a formal island dining room. The space is anchored by a sweeping mosaic mural by artists Princess SeDa and Gaby Ruben that depict a vibrant tableau of Caribbean landscapes and daily life. Ruben also reimagined and repurposed lighting fixtures throughout, adding tactility and texture.

The design is further enriched by the work of Dominican-American artist Raelis Vasquez, whose paintings explore Afro-Caribbean identity, memory, and the intimacy of familial rituals. His emotionally resonant pieces span both Kabawa and Bar Kabawa, weaving a visual thread between the two spaces.

Bar Kabawa

Adjacent to the restaurant, Bar Kabawa offers a more intimate counterpoint with rich wood finishes, tropical-toned upholstery, and a relaxed, elevated ambiance.

Two custom paintings by Vasquez serve as visual anchors, capturing quiet moments from everyday island life.

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Selene Brings Myth and the Mediterranean to Vancouver

Stephanie Chen — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:54:23 +0000

Following the success of clandestine raw bar AMA, the Kerasiotis brothers have teamed up once again with Vancouver design studio &Daughters to create their latest concept: Selene.

Rooted in Greek mythology and elemental materials, the 2,100-square-foot restaurant transports guests into an ethereal Mediterranean setting that feels both timeless and tactile.

Though Selene is located within a newly built structure, a municipal heritage requirement led the team to recreate the Mediterranean-style façade of the home that once stood on the site. Architectural nods—including terracotta roof tiles and arched windows and doors—carry through into the restaurant’s interior layout, where guests ascend a small staircase into the main dining room framed by natural light.

Mythology meets materiality

Drawing from the namesake moon goddess, Selene’s interior design tell stories of Greek mythology through emotive, handcrafted layers.

Local artist Emiko Mizukami painted a series of large-scale, site-specific frescoes that evoke elemental symbols—earth, sky, and sea—as well as ancient deities like Gaia, Uranus, Helios, and Hyperion, who animate the walls with a sense of otherworldly whimsy. At the entry, the goddess Selene herself offers a celestial welcome above the bar.

Rather than rely on the blue-and-white palette often associated with Greece, &Daughters leaned into a more nuanced interpretation. The result is a sophisticated, earthbound palette of gray plaster walls, polished concrete floors, and quartz countertops—an approach that channels the rugged serenity of the Greek isles.

Tactile storytelling at Selene

The design embraces simplicity and sensuality. Columns and handrails wrapped in coarse rope nod to Greece’s fishing and agricultural heritage while inviting touch and natural wear. A row of oversized braided rattan Dou shades, running the length of the dining room, adds both rhythm and warmth.

Solid pine furnishings—including custom chairs and curio shelving—were left natural or lightly stained. Plus, a stained pine ceiling trellis crowns the space and creates the illusion of a skylight overhead, drawing focus to a central olive tree that anchors the layout and subtly connects the reception, dining room, bar, and chef’s table.

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A Nanjing Hot Pot Restaurant Is Rooted in Nature and Nostalgia

Stephanie Chen — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:45:59 +0000

In Nanjing, Studio8 Architects has transformed two adjacent buildings into Conglong, a wagyu hot pot restaurant that channels the serenity and symbolism of the Chinese city’s iconic sycamore trees.

The immersive interiors evoke the feeling of dining beneath a tree canopy—an expression of both natural abundance and the brand’s vision of prosperity.

The project bridges time and typology by preserving the unique architectural identities of the two structures: Congying, a 1930s villa, and Longyu, a 1970s building. A landscaped garden connects the two entrances, where a light steel canopy and deep green marble wall establish a tranquil arrival experience.

Inside Congying, original wooden beams and a pitched attic roof remain intact. A circular green marble bar on the ground floor anchors the main space, framed by semi-translucent ceiling panels that dapple light like leaves above. Upstairs, layered materials and bespoke partitions define a series of intimate dining zones, culminating in a nostalgic private room tucked beneath exposed rafters.

In contrast, Longyu’s private dining suites offer a grounded, tactile atmosphere. Rich brown tones, vertical-stripe marble, and brass accents convey the metaphorical solidity of a tree trunk. A serene tea room on the top floor leads to a round 15-seat table with views across the canopy and toward the villa next door.

Although the buildings have separate entrances, they are unified by a central plaza-turned-garden. Organic planting beds, sycamore bark-inspired branding, and a continuous slab of dark green marble subtly guide guests between the two spaces—fusing history, nature, and a sense of shared memory.

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BOX Interior Design Crafts JUU KU in Edmonton

Stephanie Chen — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:00:35 +0000

JUU KU—a newly opened 3,200-square-foot Pan-Asian restaurant in Edmonton, Canada—blends theatrical design and warmth to offer a vivid escape from the everyday.

Crafted by Vancouver-based BOX Interior Design, the space is equal parts local hangout and transportive destination, and serves as a counterpoint to its elegant sister bistro next door (also designed by BOX in 2012).

A layout that is both open and intimate

At the heart of the new-build space is a central bar enveloped in lacquered red tones that creates an immersive glow that anchors the experience. Sushi chefs and bartenders work in tandem on either side of the bar, while raised two-person banquettes face inward, creating a stage-like setup ideal for intimate evenings.

Suspended above the bar is an 8-foot-high wooden screen lined with a custom mural by artist Van Hoang that draws from traditional yakuza tattoos. Every seat at JUU KU maintains a visual connection to the dynamic focal point, which is further unified by a continuous line of soft lighting around the room’s perimeter.

Tactile details at JUU KU

The bold red envelope is offset by textural interplay—tactile woods, glazed tiles, and layered fabrics balance the monochrome hue. Large-scale works by locally based artist Tim Okamura further enhance the moody palette with visual and cultural resonance.

Flanking the reception area, round stone tables for six and eight guests sit beneath sculptural lighting—bronze metal chain encasing glowing orbs—that add a balanced dose of drama and softness.

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Sunday Hospitality Opens the Dynamo Room in New York

Stephanie Chen — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 14:35:35 +0000

Sunday Hospitality—the team behind Sunday in Brooklyn, Rule of Thirds, and the Hotel Chelsea’s acclaimed F&B program—has unveiled its latest concept: the Dynamo Room, a modern steakhouse located in the redeveloped PENN 2 tower in Midtown Manhattan.

Part of the rapidly transforming Penn District, the restaurant is a design-forward tribute to New York’s historic dining culture. With a raw bar, expansive indoor dining room, and outdoor terrace seating, the Dynamo Room reimagines the city’s iconic 19th-century steakhouse through a contemporary lens.

An industrial homage at the Dynamo Room

The name draws inspiration from Thomas Edison’s electric generator rooms, evoking themes of innovation and energy that are woven into the restaurant’s layered design narrative.

Interior architecture studio Evidence of Things looked to the grandeur of the original Penn Station, the engineering feats of the Hudson River tunnels, and cultural milestones—like the atomic age and the space race—to inform the aesthetic. The result is a richly detailed environment punctuated by vaulted ceilings, satellite-like light fixtures, orbital steel railings, and woven stone tile floors that channel the spirit of historic transit hubs.

Upon entry, a hostess stand greets guests, with a sculptural racetrack-style bar immediately to the right—topped by a suspended installation of articulating lenses by Parisian artist Vincent Leroy—and opens out onto the outdoor dining patio framed by lush greenery.

Beyond the bar lies the expansive main dining room, separated down the middle by an open passageway that leads to the raw bar and private room, tucked away behind an arched doorway. At the rear of the room, an open kitchen clad in emerald green subway tile anchors the space.

Furnishings throughout the restaurant speak to midcentury craftsmanship—mirrored wall details amplify the warm ambient lighting and burgundy velvet banquettes, while custom millwork, brushed metal accents echo the surrounding architecture’s industrial heritage.

“We drew inspiration from the birth of American dining and the Lower Manhattan oyster cellars,” says founders Danielle Connelly and Gabriel Gonzalez. “The space reflects pivotal moments in the city’s evolution; themes of engineering marvels, transportation breakthroughs, and architectural preservation come together in a layered narrative that captures the spirit of the evolving Penn District.”

Art-forward interiors

Art is central to the concept, beginning with the Vincent Leroy installation above the bar.

Brooklyn-based glass artist Esteban Salazar created bespoke lighting throughout, paired with curated artwork organized by KARMA. The selection includes new and archival works by Peter Bradley, the Color Field pioneer known for his gel-thickened acrylic paintings, often inspired by jazz rhythms of close friends and music icons like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Art Blakey.

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Field Guide Brings Bucolic Modernism to Brooklyn

Stephanie Chen — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:27:51 +0000

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a former fast-casual Chinese restaurant has undergone a poetic transformation to become Field Guide, a seasonal, farm-to-table concept from chef Tim Meyers, whose resume includes Eleven Madison Park, Blanca, and Glasserie.

The restaurant delivers a sensory-driven experience rooted in the pastoral nostalgia of Upstate New York, brought to life by Mammoth, a New York-based design-build studio led by Maryana Grinshpun and Jessica Maktal.

Rustic ease at Field Guide

Drawing from Andrew Wyeth’s paintings, Dutch still lifes, and the understated elegance of 19th-century pre-globalization restaurants, Mammoth created a space filled with softness and shadow.

Wyeth’s muted palette and painterly lighting inspired the atmospheric interior, which is marked by muted yellow floors, uneven illumination, and an inventive use of black throughout.

A modern take on wainscoting, made of aluminum channels and silver leaf, grounds the space in Brooklyn’s urban sensibility while nodding to traditional craftsmanship.

All in the details

An intimate dining room glows with custom levitating candles—a design response to Meyers’ unexpected decision to use tablecloths—which hover above tables and barstools like particles of light. Nearby, a hand-sculpted acrylic bar inspired by Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Appropriate Proportion installation reflects rippled light onto hemp stools.

The bar leads the eye to a large mural by photographer Oliver Jevremov, which resembles a Dutch still life reimagined with objects sourced in Williamsburg.

Banquettes from the space’s previous life were reupholstered in beige velvet, while new chairs offer a tactile tribute to Central New York, where Meyers was raised.

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Capito Café Brings Eclectic Charm to the Heart of Bishkek

Stephanie Chen — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 13:30:27 +0000

Located on the ground floor of a residential building in central Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Capito emerges as a new café that blends vintage European charm, Grecian influences, and contemporary design.

Blended influences at Capito

Designed by Jamal Ramis Design Bureau, the 3,765-square-foot café spans two levels, with a sense of flow and openness enhanced by a thoughtfully executed layout.

On the ground floor, guests are welcomed into a space defined by a seating area and open bar, while an upper level hosts an open kitchen and additional dining space. A cozy outdoor terrace further expands the café’s footprint, encouraging guests to linger and connect.

This duality of inspiration is reflected throughout the café’s eclectic interior design. Soft beige walls, classic columns, and 19th- and 20th-century Viennese chairs sit alongside Morris tapestry-inspired fabrics, a piano inherited from previous tenants, and curated artwork with Grecian motifs. Decorative shelving lined with tableware and newspapers adds both function and storytelling, while soft curtains lend a residential warmth.

A palette of orange, green, and deep red injects contrast and energy—complementing the café’s darker wood furnishings and textured plaster walls—while concrete columns and painted floor introduce industrial undertones.

“When I began working on the concept of the project, my mind was filled with images of European cafés and restaurants that embody the spirit of history, vintage charm, and refined elegance,” says Jamal Ramisova, founder of the eponymous studio. “At the same time, I envisioned monumental structures of Greece, where ornamental motifs from ancient art inspired me to create a unique space. I wanted to craft an atmosphere of coziness without losing touch with modernity.”

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Chef Marcus Samuelsson Opens Marcus DC

Stephanie Chen — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 13:00:04 +0000

Chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson has debuted Marcus DC, a new restaurant in the Union Market section of Washington, DC that spotlights the diversity and richness of the Black culinary experience through a contemporary lens.

A cross-cultural design at Marcus DC

Designed by Kamille Glenn, founder of New York-based studio dsgnrswrkshp, the interiors reflect a tactile, intentional narrative that explores cross-cultural connection and reciprocity across the African Diaspora. Bold patterns, natural materials, and curated artworks infuse the space with rhythm and meaning.

A striking abstract collage by Baltimore-born artist Derrick Adams anchors the space, examining themes of identity through structure and surface—serving as both a visual statement and cultural touchstone.

At the heart of the restaurant is an open kitchen and raw bar, bringing energy and interaction to the dining experience. A chef’s table invites guests into the creative process, while a private dining room, wrapped in printed wallcoverings and works from emerging DMV artists, nods to cultural nostalgia and community gathering.

Marcus DC marks Marcus Samuelsson Group’s second culinary concept to open at the Morrow Hotel. Rooftop bar Sly opened earlier this year, while a third venue, Goodie Lounge is set to launch later this year.

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Wynn Las Vegas Debuts PISCES Bar & Seafare

Stephanie Chen — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 18:50:43 +0000

Wynn Las Vegas has introduced PISCES Bar & Seafare, a Mediterranean seafood restaurant helmed by chef Martin Heierling and brought to life through richly layered interiors by Todd-Avery Lenahan, president and chief creative officer of Wynn Design & Development.

The design experience of PISCES at Wynn Las Vegas

Channeling the elegance of a seaside escape, PISCES immerses guests in an experience that balances architectural drama with oceanic serenity. A rotunda clad in embroidered velvet and dark ebony wood marks the entrance, which leads to a two-level dining room awash in deep blue tones, warm copper accents, and gleaming bronze finishes.

An expansive seafood display and bar anchors the room, which is crowned by a custom chandelier comprising 400 rum-colored Murano glass orbs. Underfoot, a mosaic floor of copper-infused glass and Carrara marble shimmers with subtle movement, while oversized cobalt urns with gilded detailing add sculptural flair.

“Each detail at PISCES is masterfully created, inviting guests into a dynamic escape,” says Lenahan. “From glazed cobalt and gilt ceramic vases, which stand as ‘sirens of the sea,’ to the show-stopping Murano glass fixture above the bar—these specially commissioned fixtures highlight Wynn’s commitment to creating extraordinary, one-of-a-kind artistry.”

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Bowie Brings 1980s Glamour Underground in Old Montreal

Stephanie Chen — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 20:57:16 +0000

Tucked beneath the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal, Bowie is a sultry supperclub that conjures the decadence of 1980s London and New York nightlife through a design by Ivy Studio.

A portal to a secret world

A discreet vestibule wrapped in botanical tapestry and anchored by a sculptural hostess counter sets the tone—lush, moody, and unapologetically theatrical.

Here, the absence of natural light is embraced as a virtue, transforming the windowless space into a cocoon of intimacy and discretion, akin to the world’s most exclusive members-only clubs.

Spatially, the layout is simple yet intentional. A central corridor runs the length of the venue, culminating in a mirrored, semi-circular lounge with a bold tiger-print pouf at its center. Flanking this axis, custom sofas and low tables form cozy lounge zones, while elevated banquettes and dining tables along the perimeter encourage shared plates and flowing conversation.At opposite ends of the room, a chrome-framed DJ booth and a jewel-box bar balance the energy.

Contrast and drama at Bowie supperclub

Bowie’s design language is all about contrast and drama. Glossy burgundy ceilings glow with recessed, backlit alcoves; teal carpeting and black-stained wood flooring anchor the central lounge; and black velvet walls shimmer with subtle illumination.

The palette—teal, mustard, and deep red—is rich and unexpected, paired with tiger-print velvets and high-shine chrome finishes for an atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and of-the-moment.

Every element is bespoke, from curvaceous modular sofas to the chrome-and-glass tables. Columns are clad in smoked mirror and polished metal, amplifying the club’s layered reflections and movement.

At the center, the bar steals the show: a sculptural composition of deep red marble and brass, backed by a glowing mirrored wall and topped with a suspended installation of chrome tubes that echo the sound and spirit of the space.

Lighting and music are key to Bowie’s immersive identity as well. Ambient LEDs and mirrored surfaces interplay to heighten drama, while oversized red speakers—on proud display—reinforce music’s central role.

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