Darbaar Restaurant, London

Client: Abdul Yaseen

Oakenwoods were integral members of the project team who contributed to the successful delivery of this prestigious joinery and fit-out project.

The Project:

Darbaar is the first solo project for celebrity chef Abdul Yaseen following fifteen years as head chef at the famous Cinnamon Lounge restaurant. The unoccupied five thousand square foot building had been empty for three years having had a previous incarnation as a Japanese eatery. We were tasked with delivering a completed and customer ready project within a timescale of just six weeks. Chef Abdul’s vision for his restaurant is to mix royal classic dishes and modern Indian cuisine, creating a sense of theatre encouraging diners to share. By creating a ‘live cook’ area diners can sit at a low-level bar and view their food being cooked in the kitchen – this brings the kitchen experience direct to the diners. Our skilled team opened the existing kitchen by removing a structured, load-bearing wall, with its associated structural engineering requirements, and replaced it with glass and stainless steel. The cocktail bar area required mirrored etched bronze panels to ensure that light bounces and creates a warm glow. We manufactured bespoke furniture for the private dining areas, main restaurant, chefs table and cocktail bar.

OUR ROLE:

Responsible for the design and build of the project, including the carpentry and bespoke joinery, floor finishes, decorations, mechanical, electrical and public health services. The Oakenwoods team were engaged from the initial cost planning, through the tender, pre-construction and construction phases of the project. The fine finishes on the project included sourcing artwork and soft furnishings such as the silk velvet drapes with leather tasselled tie backs located along the large ceiling height windows in the main restaurant. New installed security alarms, audio equipment and ambient lighting schemes were all managed and coordinated by our team.