We take it for granted sometimes, but the way a restaurant, bar or cafe looks can make a huge difference to our experience there. From the lighting to the furniture, every aspect of the interior has an impact on the venue’s feel.
The Eat Drink Design Awards is a yearly reminder to appreciate the way a venue has been designed. This year’s shortlist includes 62 newly designed restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels and shops in Australia and New Zealand, chosen by a jury of industry leaders from the hospitality and design sectors.
This year’s jury includes Melbourne Food and Wine Festival’s Pat Nourse, Nomad Group’s Rebecca Yazbek, Sans-Arc Studio’s Matiya Marovich, Hogg & Lamb’s Greg Lamb, and former Eat Drink Design Awards winner Di Ritter.
“The jury applauded the many restaurants, bars and cafes looking far from traditional and making a big impact with almost an otherworldly design,” says jury convenor and editor Cassie Hansen, in a statement. “Patrons can be transported to fantastical destinations when they visit these venues, whether it’s a slightly alien landscape or a new country.”
The list includes heritage buildings that had been “expertly updated” as hospitality venues. Also “dark, moody and intimate interiors” found across a number of venues. “We noted many hospitality interiors this year that feel like this kind of private arena, often helped along by an incredible art collection,” says Hansen.
The full Eat Drink Design Awards shortlist is below. Winners will be announced on Friday November 1.
Best bar design
Bar Besuto – Tom Mark Henry, Sydney
Earlwood Hotel – Five Foot One Design, Sydney
The Beach Hotel – EJE, Newcastle
The Captain’s Balcony – Qaiser, Sydney
The Barrel Room – Alexander & Co, Queenstown
The Manure Room – Alexander & Co, Queenstown
The Nightcar – Ctrl Space, Auckland
Latteria – Studio Gram, Adelaide
Amphora – Hachem Architecture, Melbourne
Johnny’s Green Room – Dion Hall, Melbourne
Purple Pit – Studio Massive with Latitude Group, Melbourne
The Sporting Club Hotel – Studio Co & Co, Melbourne
Busselton Pavilion – MJA Studio, Perth
Best restaurant design
Med – Luchetti Krelle, Canberra
Alfie’s – Tom Mark Henry, Sydney
Comedor – Welsh & Major Architects, Sydney
Genzo – Cox Architecture with H & E Architects, Sydney
King Clarence – Pascale Gomes-McNabb Design and Jasmax, Sydney
Longshore – Like Minds Studio, Sydney
Morena – Ewert Leaf, Sydney
Poetica Bar and Grill – Cox Architecture, Sydney
The Sanderson – Studio Y, Sydney
White Horse – Farago Han Studio, Sydney
Como Restaurant – CG Design Studio, Brisbane
Emme – Alkot Studio, Brisbane
Gerard’s – J.AR Office, Brisbane
LVN Restaurant at Bird in Hand Winery – Georgie Shepherd Interior Design, Adelaide
Antara 128 – Kerstin Thompson Architects, Melbourne
Atria at The Ritz-Carlton – Layan, Melbourne
Hopper Joint – Brahman Perera, Melbourne
Orlo – McCluskey Studio and James Klapanis, Melbourne
Pincho Disco – Studio Tate, Melbourne
Saint Hotel – Telha Clarke, Melbourne
Studio Amaro – Bergman & Co, Melbourne
Canteen Pizza – Studio Gram, Perth
Gibney – Rezen Studio, Perth
Best cafe design
Blak Cede Gunyah – Papesch Architecture, New South Wales
Flour Coffee & Doughroom – Five Foot One Design, Sydney
Sol Bread & Wine – Cox Architecture with H & E Architects, Sydney
Toby’s Estate – Russell & George, Sydney
Code Black Morning Bar – We Are Humble, Melbourne
Emil’s – We Are Humble, Melbourne
Klim Coffee Roasting Co – Suil, Melbourne
Lovey Patisserie Cafe featuring Xplayground – Axe Architects, Melbourne
Market Lane, Prahran – Studio Goss, Melbourne
St Ali, Melbourne Airport – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, Melbourne
Top Tea – Wall Architects, Melbourne
Best hotel design
Rydges – Luchetti Krelle, Melbourne
The Lyall – DKO, Melbourne
The Ritz-Carlton – BAR Studio, Melbourne
Best retail design
Letao – K Holland Architectural Interiors, Sydney
Vic’s Meat, Chatswood Chase – Platform by Design Office, Sydney
Winning Appliances, Redfern – Cera Stribley, Sydney
Tim Adams Speciality Coffee and Pedro and Grizz Roasters – Studio Shibui with H and G Designs, Queensland
G McBean Family Butcher - Bergman & Co (South Yarra, VIC)
Giant Steps – Fiona Lynch Office, Melbourne
Chicho Gelateria and Production Lab – Bosske, Perth
Best identity design
Ohno! – Inklab, Canberra
Como Restaurant – Pisito Studio and CG Design Studio, Brisbane
Emil’s – We Are Humble, Melbourne
Hopper Joint – Projects of Imagination, Melbourne
Lumen People – Susu Studio, Melbourne
Madeleine de Proust – Principle Design, Melbourne
Prince Dining Room – Susu Studio, Melbourne
