Restaurants showcase combinations that surprise both our palate and our aesthetic sense. In this post, we highlight four examples of international establishments that are at the forefront of the trends we will see increasingly in retail architecture and interior design during 2025.
Fiz (Singapore): organic luxury
Chef Hafizzul Hashim’s personal project, after spending more than twenty years working in some of the world’s best kitchens, is a restaurant where he returns to his roots: the cuisine and ingredients of Southeast Asia.
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In Fiz, he focuses on offering dishes that revive ancient techniques and indigenous culinary ingredients. Very focused on sustainability, many of his ideas are based on his personal connection to some menu element, such as a curry developed from his grandmother’s recipe.
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The restaurant’s interior is simple yet cozy luxury, very organic, with elements of stone, wood, and terracotta, aimed at avoiding distractions while we eat.
Xocol (Mexico): from car workshop to minimalist restaurant
In its first location, Xocol had space for only 16 diners. In 2020, they moved to a larger space, what had been a car workshop, but they wanted to maintain that sense of connection and intimacy between customers and chefs. For this, they enlisted the team of professionals from ODAmx and Rubén Valdez.
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The result is a minimalist, almost monastic space dominated by dark grey that covers the walls and ceiling. According to its architects, thanks to these dark tones, the rich colors of the dishes served stand out more. The traditional ovens, in plain sight, provide that transparent experience and reinforce the connection with the kitchen.
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Werk (Slovakia): multifunctionality from Monday to Sunday
Located in a building of a former industrial complex, Werk is a restaurant that seeks to attract professional clients: people from the corporate world, startups, freelancers…
For this, the multifunctionality of the space, which adjusts to the needs of each hour, is key. In the morning, a breakfast area appears separated from the rest by a curtain; throughout the day, spaces are offered for meals and work meetings or simply for teleworking with a coffee. Later and towards the weekend, Werk transforms into a bar with live music.
Cafe François (United Kingdom)
This French restaurant in London combines the best of both worlds: it wants to be a familiar meeting point, a staple, and at the same time surprising and different. How does it achieve this? Culinary-wise, by reimagining French cuisine through global influences.
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In terms of decor, with recognizable furniture… but out of context (benches and clocks from train stations, for example) and with an industrial interior design reminiscent of traditional Parisian restaurants. The result is a place that seems frozen in time a few decades ago and, at the same time, incredibly contemporary.
