Premier Hospitality

Killer Tomato

Killer Tomato
Written by Roma Publications

Killer Tomato

Killer Tomato

Having started out in street food stints at Street Feast Dalston Yard, Model Market, Storeys and Leather Lane Market, Killer Tomato is now bricks and mortar with a permanent location situated in Shepherd’s Bush, London.

Serving burritos and rotating a menu of tacos and more, diners will find meat, fish and vegetarian dishes available with numerous dishes also served as vegan.

Work on the project started in June 2016 with a quick turnaround needed, meaning that work was finished by the middle of July. Work was designed and project managed by Sasha Filskow Design and Build Management.

Killer Tomato opened to the public in early August.

Speaking to Premier Hospitality magazine, Sasha Filskow said:

“Matt Paice, the owner, didn’t want to create a cute interpretation of Mexico, because there is a lot of that out there. He wanted the restaurant to reference its Mexican influence but most importantly to portray the no-frills street food heritage of Killer Tomato, mixed with a more upbeat New York vibe. Killer Tomato simply offers great produce and innovative flavours without being too self-conscious, so I think it was critical that this is what the design needed to reflect. It needed to be relevant and punchy but at the same time maybe with a sense of fun and not taking itself too seriously.”

As you walk into Killer Tomato you are greeted with an open kitchen which has been designed to feel like a street food shop. Sasha and her team used corrugated sheets, timber planks and a canopy style roof creating the experience of eating at a “nuts and bolts street food vendor.” As you walk through the restaurant there is a mix of individual tables of two and four which can be joined or split into smaller tables, a reclaimed dining bench for ten and a high dining table for five.

Selected walls have been decorated in graffiti by ‘Artista’ to bring a street vibe, vibrancy and colour to the space. Located within arches in the restaurant are galvanised metal light fittings which have been accompanied by a graffiti triangle of light below. The big open kitchen is located on the right hand side as you enter, and at the back of the restaurant is a red neon ‘Killer Tomato’ sign which adds to the dive bar, New York feel. The table for two below the sign has already been christened ‘the Tinder table’ by customers as it is bathed in the red neon light from above!

When asked to comment on the design of his new restaurant, Matt Paice, owner of Killer Tomato said:

“It is one thing to have a great eye for contemporary restaurant design, as Sasha does. But where I really felt I got value for money was Sasha’s deep understanding of how restaurant spaces operate, both as places that create a sense of hospitality and atmosphere and as places that must be highly functional for the people that work in them.”

The 35 seater restaurant also has free Wi-Fi and handy small gadgets that can be hired for diners to charge their phones.

Sasha added:

“Matt has already had great feedback about the food, design, service, tasty tequila cocktails and so on but I particularly liked one customer review who just said ‘Finally, West London has its own stuff!
’ – there is always that idea that East London gets all the decent new openings first so I liked that comment! People love the graffiti, and using reclaimed materials makes it feel like it has been there for a long time so it has integrity. Overall it has had a really good response.”

Killer Tomato is open Wednesday to Sunday from midday until 10pm. They do not take reservations and it is eat-in for lunch and dinner after 6pm. They do not accept cash and are not yet a delivery service.

Sasha concluded: “It has been a great project to work on; as everyone knows you are only as good as your last project, so when someone is pleased with what you have done, it make the hard work worthwhile. Having the opportunity to work with a client with such commitment and enthusiasm for their product, who has clear brand objectives and who is also really enjoyable to work with only enhances the sense of achievement further.”

Killer Tomato

Artista

Whether its walls, furniture or canvasses, Artista specialises in spray painting bespoke designs whilst offering live art, workshops and various other public events and installations as well as private commissions for homes and offices.

Since Artista was founded ten years ago the company has received a prestigious award from the Tate Modern and have more than 30 spray painted murals stationed in businesses globally.

Based in London, Artista has spray painted for Milliken during Clerkenwell design week and more recently worked with Amazon Audible.

For the Killer Tomato project Artista was given the task of working wonders on the main walls situated in the restaurant, with a brief of combining Killer Tomato’s cuisine with Artista’s well recognised street style. Artista said:

“The involvement was a fantastic way of fusing both street art and street food together in one setting”

The Spraypainter included:

“We pride ourselves in bringing to life a splash of colour in a unique style fusing both urban taste with the client’s needs and requirements to fulfill a perfect space in a setting that will create a positive experience for their customers and the local communities.”

 

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Roma Publications