Arabian splendour

Patrick Waring, designer of Silverfox Studios—the interior architecture design firm tasked to create Anar’s look and feel—wants diners to feel like they have stepped into a palatial, Arabic world; a vibe that matches the restaurant’s cuisine. “We did not want the restaurant’s appearance to be linked to a specific exotic style,” adds Waring. “So we went for a mix of Middle Eastern aesthetics that complement each other.”

The visual elements are a variety of blatant and subtle Middle Eastern symbols, creating an immediate, exotic atmosphere that manages to stop short of overwhelming the senses. You’ll first notice the many low-hanging, rustic brass lamps. They are inspired by the lamps in Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, and serve as a nod to the beauty of the iconic mosque’s décor.

The motif of the mashrabiya—an intricate Islamic pattern turned into wooden latticework in Arabic architecture—is printed on the windows. From the outside, the mashrabiya design on the glass obscures a little of what’s happening inside the restaurant, so diners have a little privacy.

Excerpt from the October issue of epicure.