The following is an extract from gestalten’s Tasteful – New Restaurants and Cafés, a curated selection of the most eye-catching interiors of new restaurants, cafes, bars and all kinds of food places. Featuring a variety of styles from a host of different locations around the globe, this book serves as both a guide for intrepid foodies as well as inspiration for those passionate about design.
Chic Yet Relaxed, Refined Yet Casual, a Minimalist Restaurant in Sydney
Rosa, Sydney, Australia, by Pattern Studio
Radiating lightness and freshness, Rosa is a Mexican woodfire restaurant nestled in Sydney’s Mona Vale suburb, offering delicate textures to tantalise the palate.
Created by Pattern Studio, also based in the city, its resplendent all-white interior was modeled on the streets and buildings of Mexican seaside towns like Tulum. “Rosa offers diners a transportive experience,” its designers note. “Tactility, vibrancy, and artistic flair are expressed throughout. Everything is carefully balanced via sumptuous minimalism.”
Upstairs, the restaurant’s all white finish encompasses plaster walls, painted timber floorboards, ceramic sconces, and oversized pendants. Inserted here and there, however, are pieces of furniture that complement this subtle ambiance with nuanced tones, including blond Thonet chairs and banquette cushions in beige with lightly striped resort-style pillows.
Breaking up this colour scheme, bright red chilis occasionally adorn Rosa’s walls, referencing the sumptuous food being prepared in the kitchen. Around the bar, sandstone, bricks painted white, Italian tumbled stone floors, and cacti produce the sensation of being in a desert oasis.
“Rosa is relaxed enough for guests to wander in after an ocean dip, yet special enough to be a place where you can treat your loved ones,” says the Pattern Studio team. “It’s an offering that strikes a balance between being a chic getaway and a reliable local. The fitout doesn’t take centre stage; rather, it happily provides the backdrop against which many long lunches and summer evenings can unfold.”
Words by Joann Plockova
Australian restaurants Arkhe in Norwood (by Studio Gram), Lulu’s at the Lodge in Jamberoo (by Studio Barbara), Kiln in Sydney (by Fiona Lynch Office) and Blacksmith Provedore in Lake Mulwala (by The Stella Collective) also made it into the book.
Tasteful is published by gestalten (2024) and available in all good book stores.
