Sackville's, London

The brief for Sackville’s was to create a sophisticated yet accessible, destinational grill & burger restaurant in Sackville Street in London. The client wanted to include honest, natural symbols that relate to looking for truffles in nature, with the tailors’, masculine, gentlemanly history of the building.

The restaurant consists of two floors, each with its own distinctive style. As the building has historically been a tailor’s shop and workspace, we used these two facets of the tailor identity to create the ground floor with a sleek, sophisticated style, resembling the tailors’ ‘showroom’, while the basement has a contrasting utilitarian feel, symbolic of the ‘workroom’ where tailors’ would do all their cuttings.

On the ground floor, we’ve stripped back the interior walls to expose the brick walls and rough render and combined these with contemporary features like the mid-century inspired dining chairs.

While these spaces feel different, they have to retain a consistent design language though out the space to join these areas.

We designed the basement as a ‘lost room’, imagining that the space had just been unlocked after being unused for a period of decades.

On entering the restaurant, visitors are greeted head-on, by a meat hanging display fridge that overlooks the stairwell.

Encased within the dispaly will hang meats on butcher hooks hooked to a telescopic rail. Staff will access the meats from the side access door. This will allow the restaurant to age meat on-site at the restaurant.

The words ‘accept the mystery’ is written on the front of the case in white neon, which illuminates throughout the ground floor along the feature wall and bespoke mirrors.

The main feature upon entry on the ground floor is the glass feature wall used to create a part isolated entranceway, which creates a sense of arrival once the visitor passed the unhung meat display and enters the dining space.

While the wall resembles an item which has been a longstanding part of the building, the screen has been specially built for the restaurant and features a frame of antiqued brushed brass and a variety of mottled and textured glass.

On entering the main dining area on the ground floor, visitors meet a linear banquette offering versatile tables of 2 or 4 as required. The moss green leather and walnut frame of the banquette is representing the natural landscape where truffles are hunted. The bespoke wall mirrors with their antique brass ironwork add a feeling of manmade, industrial elegance to the space.

Patrons seeking a comfortable setting for larger groups will enjoy being seated at one to the circular banquettes, clothed in lavish teal velvet with a natural walnut frame.

Adding to the enigmatic elements is the dark, secluded theatre kitchen, which harbours 4 dining seats and a dining counter.

The screen is the basement is less delicate, with blackened steel frame and toughened reeded glass and timber infills. The basement banquette, covered in aged leather, is more solid compared to the intricate ground floor banquettes.

The walls are adorned with sheets of brown paper The basement holds an initiate 4 seater, speakeasy-style bar with reclaimed wood countertop and a front clad with reclaimed drawers similar to what you might see in a suit maker’s workshop. The back bar is made up of a hardwood, brass and glass cabinet with the wall is clad in antiqued mirror.

The concept mixes the decadent black truffle with the best prime cuts of beef from around the world. Wagyu to Angus.

These gourmet burgers are complimented with a strong drinks offer, that offers stunning signature cocktails, Exquisite malt whiskies, champagne and fine wines from around the globe. All meat will be cut on-site, burgers made off-site, buns, truffle butter.

Former Tailor’s, Sackville street was an extension of Saville Row in the ’60s. At 8a Sackville st, Carr Wood and Sons we’re located on the GRD Flr with Hicks & Sons to the basement.