AMA develops interior concept for Barrafina tapas restaurant

Appointed on the strength of a design made for Barrafina’s Frith Street restaurant, AMA is now working on an open kitchen design for the new space.

The concept is led by customer flow, which dictates 30 customers are stood at  a bar area overlooking the kitchen before 23 can be seated.

Founder of the consultancy Andy Martin says it is ‘a controllable madness which works well.’

Martin has matched a traditional Spanish tapas bar look with contemporary flourishes and has taken inspiration from Barcelona based tapas restaurant Cal Pep.

The kitchen of the Drury Lane restaurant has been designed referencing tapas bars of the ‘50s or ‘60s says Martin who has brought in fabricated refrigeration units with ‘bobble faced doors,’ he says. 

‘The front bar is a bit more glamorous – polished stainless steel on a bull nosed bar and marble agglomerate flooring which we’ve broken up and cut differently.’

A downstairs function room is also being designed which will reflect the look of the upstairs restaurant. This can take around 16 people and abuts a wine cellar which can be viewed from the function room  through glass walls.