The reason companies like Dawnvale have been so successful lately is because restaurants all over the world are waking up to the fact that they cannot just serve good food and expect returning customers. Restaurant design is as, if not more important than the food being served. Customers want a full experience from their dining rather than just something to eat. There are a number of restaurants that are famous around Europe for their design as well as their food and some people travel to the country specifically to visit them.
Estado Puro, Ibiza
Regardless if you are more into the partying in Ibiza than the food, Estado Puro is an amazing sight. Based underneath the Hard Rock Hotel the gastrobar is the Ibizan cousin of Paco Roncero’s flagship restaurant in Madrid. Focusing on an indoor/outdoor vibe, the spacious restaurant on Playa d’en Bossa attracts holidaymakers from all walks of life. Both the indoor area and the large outdoor area have a substantial amount of space between table which gives customers a form of intimacy that is lacking everywhere else on the island. The red and gold design would suggest an oriental theme but if you look closely you will see all of the Spanish quirks you are used to when dining out in Spain.
The Cake, Ukraine
Although Kiev is not a location that finds itself on many fine dining lists, one pastry shop and cafe has managed to make waves in the design world for it’s fresh and innovative idea. The central table is built around a larger than life statue of a balloon animal dog. This central island provides communal seating and then there are smaller more private tables on the periphery. It may sound a novelty, and it probably is one that will fade, but for now the cake shop is enjoying some welcome popularity from the strange design.
Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, France
No list of great European restaurants would be complete without an offering from Paris. Curves are the word of the hour when it comes to the design. The design duo, Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku were aiming to create an atmosphere of softness using the curves. Wanting to make the dining experience into something that engages the entire body – the designers display incredible attention to detail in the interior. Perhaps the main reason that the design is so natural and unobtrusive is the fact that when it comes to the food, the naturalness policy implemented by the chef relies on the fish-vegetable-cereal trilogy. Believing that a dining experience should be as relaxing as possible, it is clear everyone involved in the business plan of this restaurant wanted to take the stress out of dining. The soft, white interior design is welcoming and clean, which is another great trick of the designers. It has been proven time and time again that clean looking interiors conjure up images of spotless kitchens, thus making the diner more trusting of the establishment.