Branding and interior design for a riverside fine dining restaurant
"Sat alongside the River Derwent, creating a timeless and contemporary nod to the classic bistro."
Sat alongside the River Derwent, Darleys is located within a collection of converted cotton mills dating from the 18th Century. Serving classic British food throughout the day and night, the redesign of Darleys needed to bring together a diverse range of customers, old and new, creating a timeless and contemporary nod to the classic bistro.
The original restaurant had low ceilings throughout; being quite a small space, this was not ideal. Despite it’s attractive location, it was not making the most of this. A small and poorly designed bar further added to what felt dated and inadequate. Despite this, the restaurant had some loyal customers who needed to come on board for the new Darleys; therefore, the design had to balance the old with the new.
You enter the restaurant into the newly created bar area; here, the ceiling has been lifted to expose the original timber A-frames, creating a much needed sense of space. This enables the dining room, defined by being one step up from the bar, to be intimate and have perfect views of the river. Clear definition between bar area and dining creates two distinct experiences, allowing the bar to be used throughout the day in a more informal style.
