The character and atmosphere of a restaurant—the ambience—is, in actuality, as much a part of the experience of dining out as the food, service or wine. When eating out, the theatrical bustle of waiters and waitresses, the tête-à-tête between fellow diners, the decor and lighting, will add to the sense of unwinding and loosening up, heightening the anticipation of what one is about to enjoy. And yet many restaurants, to their detriment, fail to embrace the role that a pleasing ambience will play in the dining experience.
A well-designed restaurant interior will certainly pay attention to the need for good lighting. Carefully considered lighting will doubtless enhance the overall dining experience, encouraging patrons to relax—conversing over a bottle of wine and savouring some tasty morsels is all the more enjoyable when the ambience is just right.
Designed by Ray Power, the Link lamp (pictured) has a billowy, cloud-like structure. The lamp’s floating form is a clever illustration of wood’s significant potential when used in lighting design.
One restaurant with a creative eye for both its food and interior is SENTS Restaurant in Ontinyent, Valencia. Established in 2010 by brothers Santiago and Joaquín Prieto, this Michelin-starred eatery offers a fusion of traditional Mediterranean and international, mostly Asian, cuisine.
Cuisine at SENTS Restaurant.
Cuisine at SENTS Restaurant.
Influenced greatly by their parents, Santiago and Joaquín have been cooking since childhood. Skilled and diligent restaurateurs, the hard-working, media-shy brothers received their Michelin star in November 2017. Complementing one another’s strengths, Santiago—the chef—zealously takes care of the fresh, local produce that reaches his hands, while Joaquín—the sommelier—looks after the wine, designing pairings to accompany each item on the delectable SENTS menu.
Designed by Luis Eslava, the Agatha lamp (pictured) was inspired by the celebrated English writer Agatha Christie. Agatha’s elegant and interlacing whorls of handmade wood veneer strips spring concentrically from its centre, their mass blossoming and flourishing.
Throughout the restaurant’s main dining area, diners sit at tables dressed with clean, crisp linens, beneath LZF’s handmade Link and Agatha wood veneer lamps. Warm and aesthetically pleasing, these LZF lamps clearly work to enhance the character and atmosphere of SENTS Restaurant, adding a beautifully crafted touch to the surroundings.
