Full-Service Restaurant Design (Check Average $50+)
Winner: Turner’s Cut, Houston
Owner: Berg Hospitality Group, Houston
Interior Design: sensitori, Houston
Architect: Cisneros Design Group, Houston
Contractor: Case & Associates, Houston
Lighting: Martin Sunday Lighting, Houston
Additional Team Members:
StudioChardae, Houston
John Friedman Flowers, Houston
Finch Creative, Houston
RRW Associates Procurement, Houston
The 5,500-square-foot Turner’s Cut offers rare cuts of meat with white-glove service and daily live music. Venetian glass brick adorns the façade and dome awning, a first of its kind in Houston, per the project team. The design goal was Gilded Age luxury, and no detail was spared. Design elements include a custom Czech crystal wall that adorns the bar, a barrel vault ceiling caps the formal dining room, pearlized white leather banquettes line the perimeter, and a customized spiral stair takes guests to the mezzanine that hosts a three-piece band and grand piano. The judges liked that “it’s a very curated space” with “bespoke details.” They felt “there’s a strong architectural language” that carries the experiential design from start to finish.
Photography by Andy Phan, courtesy of sensitori
Runner Up: Hawksmoor Chicago, Chicago
Operator: Hawksmoor Restaurant Group, London
Interior Architecture: Macaulay Sinclair, Nottingham, UK
Architect of Record: Aria Group Architecture, Oak Park, Ill.
General Contractor: Gallant Building Solutions, Crystal Lake, Ill.
Graphic Designers: SAINT Design, London
Decorative Lighting Design: Macaulay Sinclair, Nottingham, UK
Architectural Lighting: KGM Architectural Lighting, New York City
Kitchen and Catering Design: Katz Company, Denver
Audiovisual: Pineapple Audio, Chicago
This 16,500-square-foot London-based steakhouse’s Chicago outpost is in an old cable car powerhouse building that dates back to 1886, and its design draws inspiration from the building’s architecture and the golden age of travel (1880-1939). Design elements include patinated brass, tumbled parquet flooring, beveled glass, dark glossy walls, and twinkling glass shades. Creating multiple event spaces was key to the design, and the restaurant includes five dining areas spread over three floors. Each space has its own distinct elements but all tie back to the main themes and aesthetics. The judges couldn’t resist the ambiance and strong design language, noting “we like it because of how it makes you feel.”
Images courtesy of Hawksmoor Chicago
