There’s no denying that London‘s culinary scene is both expansive and varied, offering just about every cuisine on the planet in a multitude of categories. And surely, this also applies to Japanese fare which is served in a sheer endless number of establishments across the city. But while most of those eateries feature either a traditional or generic setting, Maido goes for a design-led interior design which ticks all of our boxes, including heightened appetite. The budding restaurant chain, has recently opened a second outpost in St. John’s Wood, a leafy neighbourhood right next to Regent’s Park, and lays it on thick with the help of architecture practice Child Studio. Occupying a former post office built in the 1960s, the design embeds subtle Japanese references by way of the selected materials, geometric patterns, and hand-crafted woodwork detailing. Taking centre stage is a central island counter which allows the dexterous sushi chef to shine.
The reflective curved steel panelling of the bar is complemented by the sculptural Pipistrello table lamp designed in 1965 by lauded Italian architect Gae Aulenti. A backdrop of dark cherry wood panelling with antique brass is paired with a coffered ceiling dipped in a contrasting yet playful soft blue hue, and tile flooring in a matching geometric motif. Shallow alcoves are decorated with abstract paintings, heightening the sense of modern lifestyle. A large semicircular glass block partition shields a quiet lounge at the back of the restaurant, and takes cues from the façade of St. John’s Wood Library, the next door building of the same era. Maido was established in 2016 by founding members of Atari-Ya, the highly respected and renowned distributor of sushi grade fish to Michelin-starred restaurants throughout the British capital. Banking on this expertise, setting up Maido seemed like a logical next move. Needless to say, the restaurant’s menu lists sushi handcrafted on site by master chefs who use only the best ingredients.
Maido
28 Circus Road (St. John’s Wood)
London NW8 6PE
Telephone: +44 20 75862000
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
