Five local picks for food and drinks in the New England fishing hub
True to its name, Portland, Maine is first and foremost a bustling port. Inseparable from Portland’s character, the harbor is both a blessing and a curse. A kind of tourist attraction in and of itself, the harbor brings literally boatloads of cruise passengers into the city, flooding the all-too-popular…
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Creative digs in a city where East meets West
Over the past decade Istanbul has made aggressive headway in the contemporary culture arena. With the opening of the
Istanbul Modern and innovative galleries like
Arter and Galerist, the city offers a rich spectrum of art and exploration. A new generation of filmmakers, fashion designers, musicians and artists are proudly claiming the city home, and now, the newly opened Le Méridien hotel in the chic Etiler neighborhood offers creative-minded visitors a place in the center of it all for a first-class Istanbul experience.
The 34-story building takes on the shape of stacked cubes, towering over the nearby Bosphorus building. Designed by Turkish architect Emre Arolat, the hotel features 259 comfortable guest rooms and 21 long-stay suites with floor-to-ceiling windows. Set at the point where east meets west, the building gets gradually transparent as it rises, providing mesmerizing views of both Europe and Asia.
Le Méridien’s cultural curator, Jerome Sans (of Palais de Tokyo fame) helped lay the groundwork for building a hotel for the creative class in Istanbul. In addition to the city housing a new wave of artistic creation, Istanbul also has a nightlife to rival any major center. “It’s a city that almost invented the rooftop bar,” says Sans.
In keeping with the Le Méridien ethos, the Istanbul Etiler aims to provide guests with new experiences to enrich their minds if they so choose. The Unlock Art program features an artist-designed key card that opens not only your room, but also provides complimentary entry into cultural monuments in the city, including the Istanbul Modern. Sans chose :mentalKLINIK, an Istanbul duo who focus their art on modern habits and consumption, to design the first set of key cards for the hotel. The duo also designed an Illy set specifically for the hotel, a gold-adorned espresso cup and saucer that can be twisted and turned to form a variety of design combinations.
The interior design draws upon themes of cartography and Turkish heritage—the custom-made lobby rug weaves an interpretation of the Bosphorus, while the concierge desk reflects the lines of the Gallatin bridge. Another floor carpet maps out a grid of Istanbul, and lines running throughout the Latitude Bar bring to mind longitude and latitude. The coffee parlor features basket chairs, situated to encourage conversation among strangers and tables modeled after the shape of Turkish tea cups. The furniture throughout the hotel features mid-century modern pieces done in simple textiles.
At night the Latitude Bar turns into a boozy haven, welcoming in guests after a day of city exploration. The Boaz Bar, located on the 34th floor offers a 360° view of the Bosphorus. It has quickly become a sought-out destination on Istanbul’s nightlife circuit.
Thankfully the expansive Explore Spa helps guest regenerate the next day. With a mix of classic European treatments and a Hamman, the Explore Spa offers signature treatments like a hot grape seed oil massage and a traditional Turkish bath on a heated marble bed. An open relaxation room encourages guests to meet and mingle after a dip in one of the indoor or outdoor pools.
Rooms at Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler start at 250€ per night.
Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler
Cengiz Topel Caddesi No. 39, 34337
Etiler, Istanbul, Turkey
PDT’s Jim Meehan mixed the perfect Manhattan
Sponsored content:
We recently hosted a series of parties in five U.S. cities to bring the Subpop Showcase at SXSW to those that couldn’t make the trip to Austin. To ensure the highest level of sophistication to the bar, we enlisted our friend Jim Meehan of NYC’s famed speakeasy PDT to mix something special. As a pioneer in the mixology movement and author of The PDT Cocktail Book, Meehan fit the bill to concoct our very own signature cocktail.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, Meehan drew on his classic style and the event at hand for inspiration. With a Kentucky Rye and orange bitters, Meehan just slightly dressed up the classic Manhattan. Meehan describes it as “a Perfect Manhattan—made with both sweet and dry vermouth—that takes cues from MasterCard’s logo in the garnish: an orange disc and brandied cherry.”
2 oz. Bulleit Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz. Vya Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz. Vya Sweet Vermouth
2 Dashes of Miracle Mile Bergamot Orange Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe
Pinch an orange twist over the surface of the drink then affix it to a cocktail pick with a brandied cherry.
Photography by Nick Brown
London designers Studio Toogood have created a temporary wine bar in Sydney where guests are invited to select their vintage by smelling scented totem poles.
Trained wine stewards guide the visitors around each of the five wooden poles, as well as past a series of glass display cabinets where objects and imagery represent a palette of different flavours.
Next, each guest is led to a table where a group of spherical lamps representing grapes are bunched overhead behind wire netting.
A collection of hand-cast aluminium chairs from Studio Toogood’s Spade range provides seating.
The bar is positioned at the centre of the room, surrounded by sausage-like sofas.
After five weeks, the bar will relocate to a second venue in Melbourne.
Read more about the Spade chair in our earlier story, or see more projects by Studio Toogood here.
Photography is by Paul Barbera.
Here’s some more information from Studio Toogood:
THE BLOCKS
One of the worldʼs most sought-after wine brands, Penfolds, is collaborating with renowned London-based designers Studio Toogood to create an ambitious multi- sensory environment dedicated to wine.
Designed to demystify the process of vinification, THE BLOCKS encourages visitors to discover and awaken their palate using sight, touch, smell and taste.
Studio Toogoodʼs first installation outside Europe will initially be unveiled in Australia on the 16th March in Sydneyʼs last remaining undeveloped, historic wharf building: Pier 2/3.
This three week event will then travel to Melbourne in late July.
Upon entering THE BLOCKS, visitors will be greeted by trained sommeliers – ʻThe Nosesʼ – who will take guests on a journey through five imperious wooden totems.
Inspired in form by the five groups of grapes available for tasting – and impregnated with different bespoke scents produced in conjunction with a perfumer for the event – the totems have been designed to guide guests to select the appropriate wines to suit their personal palate.
Not content with stimulating the nose, Studio Toogood asks guests to drink with their eyes by revealing glass cabinets filled with highly visual, poetic interpretations of the terminology normally associated with describing wine by five emerging Australian artists and designers.
Once inside the installation, guests will be able to indulge in Penfolds Bin and Luxury wines, complemented by locally foraged and seasonal tastes designed by Executive Chef Jock Zonfrillo (Magill Estate).
To complete this gastronomic experience, guests will be seated under canopies of illuminated glass grapes on Faye Toogoodʼs iconic ʻSpadeʼ chairs.
Hand-cast from raw aluminium specifically for the event, the ʻSpade Chair / Naked Aluminiumʼ is cold to the touch, reminding guests of their cellar-like experience.
Superfoods and cocoa nibs in a guilt-free bar
Combining superfood favorite quinoa with delicious organic coca nibs, Venice Beach-based YogaEarth presents Keen-Wah Decadence. The nutritious bar offers yogis and other health-minded people a gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO snack on the go and, in addition to quinoa, includes cacao, chia seeds, almonds, almond butter, coco nectar and Himalayan sea salt, as well as protein powder made from brown rice. The fully organic concoction doses out high levels of protein, omega-3 and antioxidants.
The dark chocolate coating lends a sweet edge to the savory health food core, while chopped almonds and crispy quinoa give texture and a bit of satisfaction. To support the claim of healthy ingredients, one bar of Keen-Wah Decadence has 12% of your daily protein and 18% of your recommended fiber intake.
YogaEarth set out to provide yoga practitioners with products that complemented the health-centric lifestyle. Focusing on superfoods, the company reached out to the yoga community—notably strong around Venice Beach—to develop a line of healthful and delicious products. The grassroots effort was initially carried in yoga studios, and is gearing up to launch at Whole Foods. We loved the “Chocolate Chia” flavor of Keen-Wah Decadence, and are eagerly awaiting the release of “Coconut Almond” and “Cayenne Cinnamon”.
A 12-pack of Keen-Wah Decadence is available from YogaEarth for $35.
Cherry-shaped pendant lights hang from metal branches on the ceiling of the AS Aperitivo bar in Ljubljana by Slovenian designer Nika Zupanc.
Mediterranean furniture from the 60s and 70s inspired Zupanc to create a bespoke collection especially for the restaurant, including tables with pleated fabric trims and folding blackboards with rounded edges.
Raised timber floors create platforms for tables that Zupanc originally designed for furniture brand Moooi, as well as chairs by designers Jamie Hayon and Antonio Citterio.
Lattices of timber and metal decorate the walls, creating wine racks and spirit cabinets.
This is the first interior that Nika Zupanc has completed, but you can see a few other projects by the designer here.
Photography is by Saša Hess.
Here’s some more text from the designer:
Description of the project
March 2011 has seen the end of the wooden garden pavilion of the restaurant AS and the beginning of the audacious plans to build a new, larger object which includes not only its daily offer that has pampered us in our every-day hustle and bustle but also an area for evening gatherings, when people let go of their worries and meet friends in the company of a good glass of wine, a cocktail and delicious light specialties of the As trademark. Thus, AS Aperitivo.
The architecture, designed by the biro Arhé d.o.o., followed the motif of a 150 years old tree surrounded by a clean concrete construction floating above the garden. The airiness of the building is achieved by the glass walls which in the sunny spring and summer days will hide completely into the ground and behind the concrete walls, thus creating a feeling of comfort under the large treetop of the majestic Caucasian wingnut.
About the interior:
The internal open space and the client’s contextual indications were signed by the designer Nika Zupanc through her internationally renowned designer manuscript. The garden motif with the treetop coming down into the room was accentuated with three cherry branches, iconic lights, which were interpreted especially for this room, thus enhancing the tension between the interior and exterior. As a result, a kind of non-room was created, an open-closed garden with several small environments and details, crafted as verses which are left for each individual to interpret. The flowing poetical space of clean and archetypal solutions is enhanced with copper accents. Besides the cherries (La femme et la maison by Nika Zupanc, 2009), 5 o’clock tables (Moooi 2009), the legendary pendant lights by Alvar Aalto (Golden Bell, Artek, 1939), Pina chairs designed for Magis by the Spanish Jamie Hayon (2010) and armchairs designed for Maxalto by Antonio Citterio (2008), all other elements in this spatial tale were designed especially for our premises.
The family of furniture with plissé details, developed especially for As Aperitivo bar in Ljubljana, was inspired by iconic furniture and serving tables, found in mass tourists hotels in 60s and 70s on the Mediterranean Riviera. The bath sinks were designed in addition to the mini-bar tables, which are are one of the accents of the interior. The bath sink, named Bassin Plisse is made out of artificial stone, named Kerrock, the legs and under construction are made out of 200 year old oak wood. This Oak wood is coming from Vojvodina, from the old family house of the owners of AS Aperitivo and it was in the initial brief to use this wood as a detail throughout the whole interior and in all the products, designed for it. By using a fabric plisse, the basin can get a more feminine touch, but at the same time this kilt can act as a curtain, hiding the bathroom accessories underneath the basin.
This half open space with a very old tree in the middle was also a main inspiration to create a modular seating system of Picnic sofas, which would offer a great comfort, but would also posses the ascetic look of a garden bench at the same time. Execution of the Picnic sofa is designed as a collection of one-seater, two-seater or three-seater, with an option to be extended in infinitive
Interior designed by: Nika Zupanc
Design team: Nika Zupanc, Jurij Krpan, Spela Rogel
Client: Svetozar and Sebastijan Raspopović
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Ribbed timber framework folds around the walls and ceiling of this bar in Porto by Portuguese studio AVA Architects (photos by José Campos).
The three floors of La Bohème include a first-floor mezzanine and a basement.
The walls between the wooden ribs are painted black, while all furniture is made from wood and black fabric.
We also recently published a lime green school by AVA architects – take a look here.
Here’s a longer project description from the architects:
Bar “La Bohème entre amis”, Oporto – Portugal
The Bar “La Bohème” (entre amis) is located in the “Galeria de Paris” street, amidst the downtown area of Porto.
The redesign sought to implement and structuralize the space, creating its own identity.
The solution was formalized through the texture and the colour of the wood, which defines the space and provides depth to the structure’s design.
This structure, which was placed along the corridors and namely at the walls and ceiling, allows to subvert the whole appearance of the space, appealing to its visitors sense of discovery.
The bar spans three levels: the main floor, basement and a mezzanine.
The latter establishes a visual relationship with the main floor.
The bar counter is located at the main floor’s bigger span, next to the entrance door and public access.
The previously adopted functional solution was maintained, although we opted to change the (only) existing counter’s location in order to give it a larger dimension, functionality and space for its customers.
The involving wooden structure was maintained on the lower level (basement) as to create uniformity with the main floor, and a large wine showcase was added.
The building’s facade is clad in granite ashlar.
We assumed that the previous window frames were made of solid wood, as to the resemblance of some existing adjacent buildings.
Changes made to the facade were solely at the level of framework and entrance span, combining an “Afizélia” wood (natural colour) with colourless laminated glass.
The proposed functional solution seemed more appropriate for the establishment’s new areas of operation and organization.
The composition and design of the elements in the framework were formulated taking into account the interior design of the space, while introducing rhythm by drawing vertical uprights.
This also ensured some security, preventing the installation of security systems previously installed.
Spinning the wine bottle-shaped shutters in the windows of this Prague shop reveals a wall of wine racks inside.
Designed by Czeck studio Aulík Fišer Architekti, the Red Pif Restaurant and Wine Shop features an oak bar counter beside an adjacent dining area.
A framework of steel rods supports the wine bottles stacked against the rear wall, dimly lit by bare light bulbs suspended from the ceiling.
Food and drink on sale is chalked up on a wall-mounted blackboard, while an abstract landscape painting by artist Martina Chloupa hangs on the dining room wall.
Another wine shop we’ve featured in the past features shelves built from crates – read about it here.
Photography is by AI Photography.
The following text is from the architects:
Red Pif Restaurant and Wine Shop
When the client approached us with an offer to design this interior I asked myself a question whether I could at all accept such a task. Should we linger upon it though I do not understand the atmosphere of cool restaurants at all?
Disliking their shallow visuality, not understanding the purpose why they are furnished with objects from among the most up-to-date design series used as a means to become authentic – this is no singularity at all! I communicated these doubts including (in my opinion) poor examples in this sense to the client at our every first meeting.
We browsed through photographs of bars and small wine shops in France he brought me. As a source of inspiration, he said (though on the contrary to the thesis on modern restaurant). All of them spontaneously furnished rooms with the atmosphere given by the place and all those years their owners have been running them.
I objected that only life could do this. Of course – la vie en France, life in France. And that this cannot be designed because it would be like artificial flavouring of wine – and would you drink artificially flavoured wines?
I do not know now who of us used the term first, but it became the starting point of all our further reasoning – we agreed not to artificially flavour even the interior. It would contravene the character of natural wines they should sell in the wine shop.
You have to find your way to these wines ¬– only then you may fully enjoy them. And the same way we think about the interior of this way oriented restaurant – we put most of our effort to make our work invisible at first sight. Our interior should be a background allowing enjoy good wine and meal here and now.
It is determined by materials related to viticulture processed by master craftsmen – oak wood for the floor and bar counter, and rebars (used in vineyards as poles supporting vine) for bottle shelves. The shelves disappear from view with the growing number of stores bottles and they transform in a wall of bottles.
Simple removal of disturbing modifications on the ground floor in the 19th century house showed the authentic quality of these areas. After the impersonally cool paints were removed from walls the house’s history appeared – remnants of original paints and plasters mingle with scars caused by building modifications.
Touching them, seeing their graphic quality is a unique experience. A painting called ´A Vineyard´ by Martina Chloupa complements all this.
The existing shop windows provide contact with the exterior that is important for a restaurant in the city centre. However, we designed revolving screens resembling the means of storing wine bottles in boxes for evening wine tasting or private events. They allow the shop windows closed completely.
A visitor then finds himself in a sort of a wine cellar, separated from the reality of the surrounding city. This moment is also emphasised by indirect lighting and dimmed bare light bulbs – the only visible light fixtures. The shop window does not become blind this way, but transforms in a large restaurant’s logo.
Architects: Jakub Fišer, Petra Skalická – Aulík Fišer architekti
Investor: K4wines s.r.o.
Address: U Dobřenských 1, Praha 1
Project and build: 2010
Spanish designers Normal have completed a Barcelona cocktail bar with tables made of drawers, a bar made of doors and a door made of cupboards.
The long wooden bar runs along the length of the Bobby Gin Cocktail Bar and is clad in recycled doors of different sizes and colours.
The reused chests of drawers have had their legs removed and are mounted on the opposite wall as tables.
Above, the ceiling is decorated with empty picture frames.
Dark-stained timber covers the floor and folds up around some of the walls.
Walls elsewhere are white-painted stone, decorated with circular ceiling lights and letters spelling out the message GOD SAVE THE GIN.
Other unusual bars featured on Dezeen include one modelled on a movie set and another that resembles an undulating cave – see all our stories about restaurant and bar interiors here.
Photography is by Pedro Pegenaute.
Here’s a project description from Normal:
We’ve had a great time with this project: we’ve made door collages, invented one-legged furniture, put part of the floor on the wall, made doors look like cupboards and hung paintings on the wall.
Nevertheless, Bobby Gin looks pretty Normal. The idea was to create the most memorable result possible within a very limited budget. We ended up with a radical organization of the space using alternative resources: a) strategic placement of wood paneling and materials; b) customized furniture and c) extreme care in all the details that help create the bar’s signature atmosphere.
The strong front door frames a richly textured interior: the bar covered in a collage of old doors, furniture designed from recycled drawers, the mirror that dominates the left-hand side, the stone wall painted white on the right.
The vertical paneling in the central module in tinted oak fades into the floors to blur the edges of the hallway. This way, with help from the retro, homey furniture, the dark, narrow hallway becomes a cozy place to stand and chat.
A fun cupboard hides the inevitable presence of the door to the bathroom in the main room, while maintaining aesthetical coherence with the other elements that make up the space. Frames made from molding, also salvaged, allow us to camouflage the soundproofing system on the ceiling… and, in the same line, a long etcetera of resources to make the most of the space in an atmosphere that is both surprising and cozy.
Everyone is talking about Bobby Gin as the “temple of the Gin and Tonic” in Barcelona and bartender Alberto Pizarro was chosen the best mixologist in Spain at the finals of the World Class Competition.
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| Dude Cigar Bar by Studiomake | Grey Goose bar by Puresang | Primewine Bar by Sandellsandberg |
Twisted bricks create openings in the walls of a speakeasy-style bar in Bangkok, allowing passers-by a sneaky glimpse inside.
Thai architects Studiomake designed the bar, where cigars for sale are showcased inside a glass-fronted enclosure.
Storage closets are made from dark-stained teak, shelves are affixed to the wall by black steel brackets and chairs are finished in black leather.
The bar is named Dude Cigar Bar to assert that men are the targeted patrons.
A similar recent project on Dezeen is a former slaughterhouse with walls of stacked roof tiles – see the project here.
Photography is by Nantiya Bussabong.
Here are some more details from Studiomake:
Dude Cigar Bar by Studiomake
Dude Cigar Bar maintains an uneasy relationship with its neighbours. Located next door to a busy Au Bon Pain and meters away from a brightly lit Boots pharmacy, there is plenty of context worth ignoring. In a very public, somewhat unlikely location we sought to create the exclusive feel of a speakeasy without being exclusionary.
The front brick wall attempts to balance this task by presenting an imposing solid front, however it features a surface treatment that begs for closer inspection. Select bricks rotate in plan to allow a peak inside; a humidor is revealed, and glimpses of dark teak, hound’s tooth cloth and black leather start to reveal the nature of the place.
The name refers not only to the character of its clientele but is also a play on the Thai word ดูด. “Duut” means to suck, on an object, and here we are specifically talking about cigars. Once the brick wall draws you over and invites you around the corner, you are presented with a direct view to the humidor. Come on in and check out our Habanos.
Inside the manly materials abound—wrinkle black powder coated steel brackets affix the shelves to the wall, support the long bench, and form the base of the small tables. The Dude logo delights in its manly iconography as it flexes and gloats from the furniture and hardware. The place is tiny, and that suits the owner just fine, he wanted a place to hang out with his friends, and if you want to come in and have a whisky or a cigar, then cool.
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| Warehouse 8B by Arturo Franco Office | Slowpoke Cafe by Sasufi | D’espresso by Nemaworkshop |
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
