With a number of venues located across the UK, Cibo is a chain of Italian restaurants which is seeking to unite big city surroundings with local community dining – bringing to life the most authentic dishes in the most vibrant locations.
This particular project saw our restaurant interior design team heading to Hale, where the Cibo brand was hoping to add personality and an intimate dining environment to a large, open plan space. As an Italian restaurant, the aim from the outset of the project was to use Italian influences to build out the setting and ensure that the brand’s core values were communicated throughout the guest experience – from entering the restaurant to sitting down, ordering, eating, and leaving.
A big part of this saw us bring a large bar into the main area of the restaurant, situating an ornate tree structure right into the centre of it. Creating a clearly defined focal point and centrepiece for the restaurant, from here we were able to build out and create the rest of the space – using wine as decorative accessories, creating contrasting textures with the leather seats and marble table surfaces, and leaning on a very neutral colour palette to allow the colours on each dish to shine.
In terms of the materials themselves, we brought in a number of different options – finally opting for the same marble across the walls as in the bar and table surfaces. This contrasted neatly against the natural wood floors, with the addition of mirrors around the restaurant making the whole space feel brighter and bigger. We fitted a large number of down lights and spotlights into the ceiling, working around the tree structure in the centre for optimum light and functionality, and added some more decorative lamp shades and chandeliers in the more intimate dining spaces for a romantic finish.
This restaurant mixes local charm with the vibes of a big city, making it the kind of space that appeals to and inspires any and all types of diner and guest. A great way to honour the overall brand while creating a restaurant business that stands successfully on its own.
