Blacksheep cooks up ‘waiterless’ restaurant

Restaurant owner Compurants is to open its first destination concept in Soho, London in June, with interiors by Blacksheep.

The idea behind the Inamo development, a downstairs bar and upstairs restaurant space spanning 280m2, is for an interactive dining system featuring direct table-to-kitchen ordering, virtual menus and table-top projections.

Blacksheep designer Ben Webb explains that the consultancy won the project in November last year, following a recommendation and successful concept visualisations.

It has previously worked on private members’ venue The Cuckoo Club and Gordon Ramsay’s London pub venture The Narrow.

‘The Inamo team told us about this interactive concept, and from there it was clear that for the software and technology to come through there had to be a strong interiors scheme,’ says Webb.

‘From there we started talking about the style of food, with Asian fusion being the key, and narrowed it down to “theatrical” key elements,’ he adds.

The restaurant will feature imposing, shrouded light projections hung from the ceiling, which will project interactive menus and e-cloths on to white Corian tables, while acrylic wall screens will exhibit customisable kaleidoscopic patterns, inspired by origami wall panels.

‘We created a concept based around warmth, vibrancy, charm and theatre,’ explains Blacksheep director Tim Mutton. ‘It was important to balance out the restaurant’s technological aspects by creating a sensuous social space with strong personality,’ he adds.

Blacksheep has also been charged with designing the look and feel of the interactive graphics, iconography and projections, in conjunction with digital designer Bernard Sampton, who is developing the technical aspects of the software.