Kassaba Restaurant

Project Description: The space which is now Kassaba has had a few incarnations as a restaurant overs the years and was found in a poor state of repair. The owner commissioned Imagine Building Design to transform the interior into a Mediterranean themed restaurant complete with a new kitchen. A key requirement was an increase in the seating provided as previous restaurants had struggled to accommodate sufficient patrons thus limiting trade, especially through peak times. The décor is North African in style with a strong influence of Tunisian architecture. The concept proposed needed to be dramatic as the building was not on the traditional restaurant strip so it had to create a buzz via the design and the cuisine.  The atmosphere needed to feel authentic and memorable. The existing features retained included the gas fire housed in the original cottage chimney, the original timber mouldings & windows and the beautiful kauri floor. The project was successfully carried out on a very tight budget and timeframe. The success of the restaurant is already evident with rave reviews being received on both the décor and the diverse Mediterranean menu. Many customers have expressed their amazement at how the place has been be transformed. Design Features and Creative Solution: The plan solution was driven by the need for an increase in seating to over 50. To achieve this a reorganisation of spaces was needed starting with the removal of the large inefficient existing kitchen. The space left behind was transformed into additional dining and now the restaurant seats 56. Freeing up space out front then required a clever, more compact new kitchen out the back. To ensure the new kitchen performed careful consideration was given to the number of staff, their roles and their movements. The outcome has been a great success with the kitchen comfortably coping with a full evening service. The colour palette is bold traditional Tunisian. The new Islamic styled arches were carefully researched for scale and proportion. The wallpaper on the arches was chosen to represent the detailed timber latticework often found in North African architecture. The arch details are repeated with new bar design. The strongly detailed bar is carefully positioned as the link between the kitchen and the dining room. The retained kauri floor fits in perfectly with the scheme and the aged appearance tells the story of the buildings past. The light fittings and wall sconces were sourced from Morocco. They are authentic handmade punched tin fixtures which cast a dappled light to the room.  Dimmable halogen downlights provide the balance of lighting from the dark painted timber ceiling. The décor is completed by the arrangement of ornamental hookah pipes in the central wall recesses and the use of Mediterranean artwork.