The latest Fishtown destination restaurant from Roland Kassis, Greg Root, and head chef Nick Kennedy is Suraya, a Lebanese all-day cafe/restaurant concept. Conceived by the partners and local restauranteur and Beirut-raised Nathalie Richan, the space is part-market, part-bar & restaurant, and part-garden lounge. From Frankford Ave, patrons enter the space through the market area. With large windows, the space was designed with bright colors and an eye-catching custom light fixture to draw people in off of the street. All display fixtures were custom designed, including the order counter and retail shelving.
Working with a long, narrow, window-less space for the restaurant, great care was taken to subtly divide the space into pockets, defined by function, texture, and material. One one side, an open kitchen with counter seating flanks the bar, all decorated with custom cement tiles and custom millwork. Opposite the kitchen and bar are the elevated dining areas. Divided into 4 sections, each area has a fabric awning, recalling the outdoor markets of Beirut. A floating, fragmented cane tile ceiling tops the middle aisle, while throughout the space, custom light fixtures punctuate the design.
The exterior features an enclosed fireplace lounge with custom built furniture, and the garden area. Meant to evoke the impressive gardens of Beirut, the white stucco walls serve as a contrasting backdrop to accentuate the greenery, and a fountain and bar anchor the middle of the space, as informal garden seating scatters throughout.
WORK:
-architecture
-interior design
-custom light fixture design
-custom furniture design
-exterior courtyard design
LOCATION:
Philadelphia, PA
COMPLETED:
Winter 2018
WEBSITE:
http://surayaphilly.com/
*photo credits: Zach Hone