Bohemia Bar and Restaurant – Rooftop Garden
Michelin-starred Bohemia Bar and Restaurant has revamped its terrace to create a new rooftop cocktail garden. The space, which had a soft opening earlier this year, was redesigned by Alasdair Gordon-Hall and amongst other new features now boasts plants in full bloom to compliment a redeveloped cocktail list.
Bohemia, based in St. Helier, offers customers Michelin star dining from head chef Steve Smith. Chef Smith was awarded his first star at the age of just 24. The restaurant serves a selection of light and contemporary dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It runs alongside boutique hotel The Club Hotel & Spa.
Alasdair Gordon-Hall and his business AGH Garden Design are specialists in making the most out of a space. He has worked on a variety of gardens, courtyards and commercial developments in addition to roof gardens. The brief for this particular project was simple, as Alasdair explained to Premier Hospitality:
“The client’s brief was simply to make as much use of the space as possible and to also enclose the terrace so that it became inward looking rather than outward, creating a more intimate and private experience. The design concept was to create a cocktail garden based on cocktails served at Bohemia.
“Throughout the design process, both the client and the general manager, Tim Phillips, had a hands on approach to the design.”
To achieve this privacy Alasdair erected an evergreen hedge all the way around the perimeter, approximately 6ft high planted in bespoke GRP planters. He also added mature olive trees and other plants which in turn have inspired a revamp of the cocktails on offer including Lanique Rose Vodka. Guests can enjoy drinks mixed by the bartenders using mint, lavender, sage and strawberries all grown in the garden.
In addition to the drinks revamp, Bohemia has also added a new bar menu to complement the garden. New dishes include potted salmon and shrimp, lamb and pea ragout, chicken and coconut curry and steak and chips.
Alasdair said:
“The whole layout was changed to make full use of the sunniest section of the terrace. The old bar was replaced with a new one at the other end of the terrace leaving the sunniest section to be enjoyed more fully by guests.
“The client also wanted the existing flooring to stay with its beautiful, traditional tiles that contained in-laid detailing of flowers that linked to the new design.
“This project was about making sure we had the best layout so the terrace was separated into zones using the planting, so that you could have little enclosed areas for intimate drinks with mates on sofas, but also have more open areas where you could have afternoon tea in the sun. Down the far end is a party area with the bar.”
Design flexibility means seating can be rearranged depending on customer needs. Tim Phillips was key advising on this, making sure seating dimensions met the requirements of hotel guests. The plan now is for the garden to be open all year round, with a fireplace to keep the space comfortable in the winter months.
