Although Almaty no longer is Kazakhstan‘s capital, it very much has retained the sophisticated allure. Thanks to vast natural resources, the country continues to fare well, and it’s right here where savvy locals reaps the benefits and let their hair down. Needless to say, modern coffee culture has rooted here as well – mind you, the black gold has been revered here for centuries, and you’ll come across an incredible number of traditional coffee parlours – and the cutesy Julius café is the latest exponent of this ongoing trend. An initiative of local hospitality firm abr, the establishment is nestled in the grid of streets downtown, occupying just 42 sqm. (452 sq.ft.) on the ground floor of a late 1930s building with a Neoclassic façade.
Designed by local architecture practice NAAW, the departure point for the interior design has been Julius‘ red La Marzocco coffee machine, arguably its most prized possession, resulting in a front door in a similar hue and red elements in its logo. However, the main objective was to create a comfy coffee sanctuary where to retreat from the hustle and bustle. A front door landing, crafted from imported German bricks, extends inside, covering not only the entire premises, but the material is also used to create a bar counter. The walls, and also ceiling, have been dipped in a cream white hue and are overlaid with dark timber panels and other fixtures. Furnishings comprise an elongated wooden bench, with small side tables attached, lining one side of the café, and paired with chunky wooden Backenzahn stools by e15.
The two deep window sills are put to good use and they’re not only cushioned to provide additional seating, but also paired with a locally crafted table and chairs from Gubi to accommodate groups. The aforementioned bar comes with six stools. adding to the homey vibe are pendant lamps and a framed charcoal sketch by renowned artist Nurbol Nurakhmet. The menu at Julius obviously features plenty of classic coffee options, but also contemporary concoctions such as a flat white and matcha latte. Additionally, there are various teas, fresh juices and soft drinks, and for evening calls, patrons can choose from various liqueurs and wines. Feeling peckish? Check. Julius accommodates with a number of breakfast dishes, croissants, sandwiches, small hot dishes, and for sweet tooths, there’s a number of tasty pastries.
Julius
ulitsa Kabanbay Batyra 83
050010 Almaty
Telephone: +7 707 5001668
Mon-Fri 8am-11pm
Sat-Sun 9am-11pm
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.
