Premier Hospitality

Eneko at One Aldwych

Eneko
Written by Roma Publications

Eneko at One Aldwych

A little over a year since opening, Eneko at One Aldwych has already established itself as one of London’s most distinguished restaurants. Showcasing fresh, modern Basque cooking from one of world’s most acclaimed chefs, Eneko is housed within the award-winning independent hotel One Aldwych.

Chef Eneko Atxa, owner of the three Michelin star restaurant Azurmendi in Bilbao, brought his own very special style of Basque cuisine to the capital, delivered in a relaxed and friendly fashion. Complementing the food is a warm and inviting interior created by award-winning design firm Casson Mann. The design was recently recognised at the annual Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, winning in the ‘Best Restaurant in a Hotel’ category.

Judges were particularly impressed with the use of textures and details that help maximise the proportions and natural light. The project was Casson Mann’s first restaurant interior and the award is recognition of the studio’s intuitive design approach, which considers story, environment and materials as integral elements of the interior narrative.

Roger Mann, Casson Mann’s co-founder and creative director, said:

“We couldn’t be more delighted. Eneko was a milestone project for us and we share this success with Chef Eneko Atxa and the management of One Aldwych whose confidence and collaboration made it possible.

“All our museum experience is about transforming stories into engaging spatial experiences. This has been a similar challenge, albeit with a shift from a direct to a subtle emphasis in the way we link narrative to materials and invite emotional and functional connections.”

Mr Simon Hirst, Managing Director, One Aldwych hotel, Covent Garden, added:

“The Eneko at One Aldwych space presented numerous design challenges such as integrating Edwardian-era steel columns and bringing natural daylight to the below street-level space. Casson Mann brilliantly met these and created a wonderful light, airy and modern restaurant. I particularly admire how natural materials from the Basque Country in northern Spain were integrated, including the copper-clad staircase, chestnut tables and chiselled black pine walls.”

The 100-cover restaurant’s menu reinvents recipes deeply rooted in traditional Basque cuisine. Speaking as the restaurant opened last year, Eneko Atxa commented:

“At One Aldwych we aimed to create an unpretentious take on rustic Basque cuisine, based on quality ingredients, simplicity and culinary heritage and the hotel is the perfect partner for this joint creation.”

Eneko

Image Credit – Hufton+Crow

Casson Mann

London-based Casson Mann is an environmental and exhibition design practice dedicated to the delivery of innovative experiential projects. Away from the hospitality industry, the award-winning practice is a leader in the field of exhibition design, delivering world-class experiences internationally. Credits include the British Galleries at the V&A, Churchill Museum, World War I Gallery and Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, The Welcome Wing at the Science Museum, and the Great North Museum.

 

Noble Russell & Eneko at One Aldwych – Restaurant & Bar Design Awards

Noble Russell was delighted last year when WFC commissioned them to manufacture over eighty-three metres of bespoke banquette seating, for the new restaurant of one of the world’s most acclaimed chefs, Eneko Atxa.

And now, Eneko at One Aldwych has just won the prestigious ‘Best Restaurant or Bar in a Hotel’ at the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards for designers, Casson Mann. Their distinct interior design which brought together Eneko Atxa’s Basque heritage and London’s culture impressed the judges at this month’s ceremony held in London.

Noble Russell’s expertise in creating bespoke seating, allowed them to build the eight individual ‘floating’ banquettes for the lower floor of the award-winning restaurant. Casson Mann requested the seats to be upholstered in a montage of different reds in both leathers and fabrics. These were inspired by the changing colour of red chili peppers as they dry, as seen in Eneko Atxa’s kitchen at Azurmendi, Bilbao. The red banquettes stand on hidden steel supports which create a floating effect.

Alongside the perimeter seats, a large cantilevered banquette and smaller curved banquette was required to frame the island seating area. These were both been upholstered in soft stone Alma leather with button details and stand on stained timber legs.

Above the main restaurant area, the mezzanine required another large curved cantilevered banquette also upholstered in stone coloured leather and standing on hidden feet.

The finished range of Noble Russell banquette seating fulfilled the challenging design brief; truly adding to the award-winning interiors that Casson Mann created.

noblerussell.co.uk, cassonmann.com, wfccontractors.com

Eneko

Image Credit – Hufton+Crow

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Roma Publications