Designing a European bistro is possible with the right touches.
Good restaurant design transports the customer to an exotic location as a way to escape reality for a few hours. Additionally, design should be in accordance with the food served. William Blunden, an award-winning architect, explains that quality restaurant design must balance multiple factors: energy, personality, cuisine, intimacy, theater and gallery are some. For European bistros serving Italian bruschetta, then, the interior must make the diner feel as if he can almost hear the mandolin from an outside gondola. Does this Spark an idea?
Walls
Many rustic restaurants in Europe have brick walls, whereas many new American restaurants tend to have smooth painted walls. To create an old-world European bistro look, build a brick wall.
Or, choose a faux antique paint finish using a color palate inspired by the cuisine served. For example, paint a Spanish tapas bar deep crimson, but give a polished French bistro simple cream-colored walls to match its wooden furniture. Similarly, consider painting a mural of the Tuscan countryside for Italian cuisine.
Wrought Iron
Many fences, lights and buildings in Europe showcase the ornate curls of wrought iron. Conjure these images in the bistro by decorating it with wrought iron candle holders, curtain rods, wine holders, chandeliers and railings. Place small iron candle holders on each table and decorate bathrooms by hanging pictures in wrought iron photo frames.
Floors
Aside from being easy to clean, hardwood floors convey authenticity and antiquity. Though bamboo might be eco-friendly and trendy, choose a dark-colored wood like oak or mahogany for the best results.
Decorate a Mediterranean-style bistro's floor, however, with heavy tile. For restaurants located in similarly warm, breezy climates like Florida or California, tile will help keep the restaurant cool.
Scooter
Italian and Parisian streets would not look the same without scooters perched on the sidewalk. Buy a Vespa, a classic Italian icon, to display in the window or to secure outside the restaurant. Or, hang a retro scooter poster in the restaurant.
Lighting
Ideally, have large windows in the front of the restaurant. European restaurants commonly entice customers to come in by creating a well-lit, open space. The natural sunlight seeping into the restaurant creates the illusion of an open, breezy space commonly found on the cobblestoned streets of Paris.
If large windows are not possible, hang hand-crafted glass-blown lights or chandeliers. Avoid fluorescent lighting, neon lights (think the opposite of an American diner) and anything that gives harsh, white light. Create a dimly lit space with the use of tea candles.
Chalkboard
Small restaurants in Europe often concoct dishes based on whatever seasonal foods are available at the local market. Because of this lack of predictability, the owners will write menus on chalkboards. Place a chalkboard poster outside the restaurant to indicate the day's special, or place a giant chalkboard listing the full menu on the back wall of the restaurant. These erasable boards are also useful in listing experimental appetizers or desserts.
Tags: candle holders, European bistro, iron candle, iron candle holders, large windows, outside restaurant
