David Collins and Sands Thomas work on Brasserie Zédel restaurant

The project began about a year ago, when operator Rex Restaurants took over the Sherwood Street space, formerly inhabited by Oliver Peyton’s Atlantic Bar and Grill.

Brasserie Zédel encompasses the ground-level Zinc Café, the Crazy Coqs cabaret space, the Bar Américain cocktail bar and a 240-cover Brasserie restaurant area.

It is located in the original Grill Room of the former Regent Palace Hotel built in the early 20^th century, and has been redeveloped as part of the wider revitalisation of the area, known as Quadrant Three, in a project led by architects Dixon Jones for the Crown Estate.

The David Collins-designed interiors reference the building’s Art Deco heritage. For much of the space, the 1930s interiors created by West End stage set-designer Oliver Bernard have been restored.

The spaces feature materials including timber veneer, 23-carat gold leaf architraving, marble, brass, and original wallpaper that have been removed and reinstated in a restoration project restored in a project led by conservation architects Donald Insall Associates.

1920s and 30s French posters are displayed on the walls throughout the space and the staircase areas. The main reception area uses a large painted mural depicting images from the era such as biplanes, trains and world landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, The Eiffel Tower and Big Ben.

The original red and white kiosks have been restored in the main lobby area, and new interior signage has been created by Sands Thomas in collaboration with Rex Restaurants.

The 65-cover  Crazy Coqs area uses a bold, graphic colour palette of red, black and grey, with a large reflective ceiling fitting and curtains over a back-lit ‘window’ area to give the impression of being above, rather than below ground.

The Bar Américain area features wooden pillars, tiger print carpeting and aeroplane graphics on the brown walls; while the Zinc Café features a wooden bar and Zédel-branded white, black and grey tiled flooring.

The 240-cover main restaurant area aims to create the feel of a Parisian Brasserie, with marble walls, brass guard rail, maroon banquette seating, new rectangular translucent box chandeliers and pink printed linen decorated with the Sands Thomas branding work.