So where do we go next?
Paneer tikka, Butter chicken with Naan. A Pizza straight from the oven. A spicy chicken biryani from the kadhai. A warm Gulab Jamun with Rabdi on top. All of this with a chilled glass of craft beer. If this hasn’t gotten you to look up for your next bite, we can’t think of what will.
With the rise in disposable income, convenience, competitive pricing, and access to information about different types of cuisines in India and around the world, we are always on the lookout for the next palate and mind blowing experience. Sometimes on a budget. It is easy to observe that we frequent restaurants pubs and bars more than we did 5 years ago. With increase in footfall, the hospitality industry has upped its game. The experience in a restaurant needs to be gastronomical, visually captivating and absolutely delicious.
We look for reasons to visit these establishments. It may range from a celebratory dinner to a late night bite after a party, to a formal lunch or to a casual family brunch. As ardent foodies, restaurants hoppers, party animals and restaurant & experiential designers in Bangalore, we at Studio J, decide to get a perspective on what makes us pick a place more often than others.
The food
It may differ in the way its prepared or which part of the world it comes from. Food and beverages are the soul of a restaurant, it may be authentic to a region, fusion but as long as it pleases the palate, it becomes a crowd favourite.
The way food is prepared and presented also adds to the experience. Is it the traditional method, or is science involved, is it cooked for 24 hrs or is it prepared in 15 mins.
What are the aesthetics its plated in? The cutlery that the food is served in also add to the experience. In fine dine restaurants one will be expected to be served in the best bone china, while in a pub one can expect to be served in something quirky and unexpected.
Food not only tantalises your taste buds but also seduces you visually.
The ambience
Restaurants are no longer treated as space where food is served but as Spaces that have the power to evoke memories. Designing spaces to give an authentic feeling to the cuisine or sets a theme has become essential.
Many places serving regional food can be seen taking architectural reference from the region in their furniture or the way the space constructed in stride to give us the authentic experience. Whereas many places theme the space and add quirky elements that makes the space interesting and enjoyable.
But this too should be done thoughtfully as packing the space with too many artefacts might make the space overwhelming which might reduce walk-ins in the future.
Lighting in space can have a direct effect on the amount of food consumed and the mood of potential customers. Lighting is key to atmosphere – warm, cosy light makes people feel most comfortable. That being said we need to keep in mind on factors like how long we want them to stay and the experience we want them to have.
Sound and smell too play an important role –smelling freshly baked bread in subway and seeing and hearing the sizzling of food before its severed in an open kitchen – both are mouth-watering experiences.
Letting customers being involved in the process of cooking is a good way of engaging them and also personalising an experience.
The Hygiene factor
Hygiene acts like a make a break in many situations and it’s not limited to clean toilets and decently clean plated. Today’s conscious customers also look at the how the condiments on the table are arranged to the condition of the menu card. The washroom though at many establishments has turned into a social media friendly point and is expected to be immaculate and be ready for a selfie.
There is so much more to discuss about experiential design for restaurants and pubs. We would love to hear from you and discuss it over a glass of beer, maybe at Banglore design week!
Do look out for us and for more information on Banglore design week click on the link below http://www.blrdesignweek.com/