Madrid – A café and a fine dining restaurant are worlds apart, not just in food, but décor, attitude and ambience. But Spanish restaurateur Tomás Tarruella believes the two can coexist harmoniously in his latest offering, the Ana La Santa restaurant at Hotel ME Madrid Reina Victoria.
At Ana La Santa there are four eating areas, visually demarcated by different but cohesive interior spaces, created by studio Sandra Tarruella Interioristas.
There is the greenhouse-style café where diners can pick at tapas and casual fare, sitting on wooden chairs, surrounded by greenery. On the other side of the room is a lounge with couches, a fireplace and bookcases for casual afternoon relaxing. Then there is the fine dining corner, replete with white tables cloths, wine glasses and a full menu. Bringing the entire split-level space together is a central bar, which encapsulates the spirit of Ana La Santa.
We are beginning to see the retail notion of zoning used more in restaurants to create a novel dining experience. For more, read our Innovate profile of Jason Atherton’s Shanghai restaurant The Commune Social.