Take a Look Inside 9 Shortlisted Entries from the Eat Drink Design Awards 2019

Enjoy our favorites from the shortlisted entries below.

Via Porta by Studio Esteta

677 Whitehorse Road, Mont Albert, Victoria

Best Café Design | Best Retail Design | Best Restaurant Design

Run by 4 siblings, one of them the co-founder of Studio Esteta, this all-day deli and eatery draws upon the Consentino siblings’ Italian heritage to provide unique food experiences to their customers that go beyond dining at the venue. The main floor of the eatery draws inspiration from historic alleyways found in Italy and other European cities. The atmosphere of these traditional streets is reflected in the arches and various textures found in the eatery, notably the timber grooved bar and textured floor to reference the cobbled streets.

Peaches by Pierce Widera

Level 2, 301-303 Swanston Street, Melbourne, Victoria

Best Bar Design

Reflected in its name, Peaches is decked in peach and pastel pink, evoking a fun atmosphere. Pierce Widera further added to the ‘peaches’ theme by ingeniously using suspended circular pendants to represent ripe peaches hanging from the ceiling. Touches of green from the stools and greenery balance the pink, while brass detailing add luxury to the space.

Sake Manly by Luchetti Krelle

Manly Ferry Wharf Belgrave Street and West Esplanade, Manly, New South Wales

Best Restaurant Design

Situated on the rooftop of Manly Wharf, Sake Manly offers diners with waterfront views. Luchetti Krelle sought to create a restaurant that evokes a sense of reflective harmony, whereby the spaces “[intertwine] nature, artistry, balance and flow”. The centrepiece of the design is the central axis of private dining rooms framed by circular ’gateways’. Circular shojis can be used to separate these private dining chambers. In the more public areas, screens reminiscent of sushi rolling mats are also in place to section various areas. As intended by the designers, nature is celebrated with the restaurant’s copious use of timber, while artistry is evidenced by the delicate details found throughout the restaurant. Additionally, a 2-tonne boulder in front of the circular gateway as a ‘guard’ presents a symbolic touch that respects nature in a way.

Esquire by Guru Projects

Shop 1 Level 2 QVB, 455 George Street, Sydney, New South Wales

Best Restaurant Design

Guru Projects intended to create a comforting dining room and bar with a sense of moodiness and mystery reminiscent of film noir’s aesthetic. This was achieved through a dark material palette of rich timber, dark marble and black velvet. Heritage moldings of the Queen Victoria Building were retained, providing a counterpoint to the rest of the predominantly dark aesthetic of the space.

Babylon Rooftop Bar and Restaurant by Hogg & Lamb

Level 7, Westfield, Pitt Street, Sydney, New South Wales

Best Restaurant Design

Babylon Rooftop Bar and Restaurant recreates the beauty of the lost city. Hanging gardens, arcades, colonnades and stone buildings stem from Hogg & Lamb’s imagination of the “labyrinthine and ruinous landscape”. The soft lighting accentuates the arcades and create an otherworldly atmosphere, inviting diners to step into the experience.

The Calile Hotel by Richards and Spence

48 James Street, Fortitude Valley, Queensland

Best Hotel Design

The Calile Hotel is designed to provide a resort-like atmosphere in an urban setting. Warm sandy tones dashed with splashes of pink evoke an atmosphere similar to a tropical holiday, complemented by light filled spaces and open-air walkways. The arches add another element to the design of the hotel, and is used for the curved balconies, sundeck in the pool, in walkways and in guest rooms.

Reign by Guru Projects

1, Level 1 Shop 48/455 George Street, Sydney, New South Wales

Best Bar Design

Set within the historic Queen Victoria Building, the resulting bar included retained historic elements. Guru Projects wanted to highlight the existing space with its heritage elements and abundance of natural light through the large arched windows on the heritage façade. The space evolved to create a sense of elegance with curved elements. These were complemented with a rich material palette of marbles, brass and leather, providing sophistication to the elegant space. Throughout the space, textured details of surfaces and finishes, as well as the contemporary fitout, created a space that blended heritage and contemporary elements together to produce a stunning space with depth and consideration for its heritage setting.

C.C Babcoq by Tom Mark Henry

Shop 4/5, 66-70 Cronulla Street, Cronulla, New South Wales

Best Restaurant Design

The feature patterned wall of C.C Babcoq make for a fun and quirky space. The name C.C Babcoq is derived from a character from The Nanny who is known for being sassy and bold. This was thus reflected in the interior of C.C Babcoq, while also incorporating coastal influences to reference the rotisserie’s beachside location.

McDonald’s in the Sky by Landini Associates

Sydney Airport International Terminal, Sydney, New South Wales

Best Restaurant Design

The feature in this McDonald’s is the yellow translucent box that sits atop the service floor. Although the fun little box is reminiscent of McDonald’s play areas, this time, however, the convention is switched – the “Sky Kitchen” houses the kitchen team. Landini Associates describe the experience as a theatre process, whereby patrons can watch as their orders are prepared in the ‘boxed stage’, before being transported down a metallic curvy pipe akin to a slide, once again adding to the playfulness this project encapsulates.

Images: Eat Drink Design Awards

Cover Photo: Island Bar in Reign by Guru Projects (Photo: Guru Projects)