Case Study
The newest location from all-day cafe bar Permit Room, sister brand of Dishoom, was unveiled in one of Oxford’s oldest streets in North Bailey House.
Following a careful refurbishment project, the team took an unassuming, former office space and transformed with the electric interior design Permit Room has become known for.
Taking inspiration from the popular, low-lit drinking bars of Bombay, the original permit rooms are historic institutions where only guests with a permit could purchase and consume alcohol during the prohibition era.
Drawing on this intrigue, the team also included references to today’s buzzing Bombay quarter bars, which are typically no-frills night-time establishments serving stronger drinks at affordable prices. By combining this specific character and charm of Indian culture with the hospitality of a traditional British pub, the new space offers a warm, welcoming neighbourhood-feel for guests.
Having collaborated with Dishoom for more than a decade, and completed projects on all Permit Room locations to date, Macaulay Sinclair has a firm understanding of how to present the brand – through soul and nostalgia that stirs a sense of good times, whatever the occasion.
By placing emphasis on authenticity, the team conducted in-depth research for the project with much of the furniture being hand selected from a variety of locations, including bazaars and markets in Mumbai.
Although this was not a heritage building, it was decided to retain some of the existing, rough fabric to form a backdrop to the fit out; exposed ceilings and unplastered walls, for the purpose of adding texture and character. Permit Room Oxford is about being transported back to mid-century Bombay through the design of the space as well as being a sustainable design that will stand the test of time.
Music plays a core part of the Permit Room experience, which is referenced across the wall art and through the inclusion of a DJ booth, which will host both local and south Asian DJs on the line up. The informal and versatile seating arrangement allows for cosy and intimate dining, larger groups and late-night partying.
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Located in Soho London, Singapulah transports guests on a cultural journey through the vibrant tapestry of 1970s Singapore.
Located on one of Oxford’s oldest streets in North Bailey House, Permit Room – sister brand of Dishoom – opened its first restaurant in a former office building. Our design team worked on a careful refurbishment project to transform the empty, concrete shell into a hospitality space bursting with character, intrigue and style.
The eclectic design of Permit Room is a sidestep from its sister brand Dishoom, with a focus on a more independent vibe for this all-day bar-café. Nestled on bustling Trinity Street in Cambridge, the venue is tucked behind an ornate arched doorway – one of the last surviving elements of the 18th century Blue Boar Hotel.
Departing from the Dishoom’s conventional DNA, this drink-centric offer draws inspiration from the iconic permit rooms and quarter bars of Bombay. We aimed to skilfully blend this Indian reference point with the contemporary vibe of the classic British pub featuring live music and DJ sessions.
Creating Hawksmoor’s inaugural Midwest site, Hawksmoor Chicago involved the renovation of the 137-year-old LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse, which once brought 100,000 of the city’s workers downtown, daily. Covering 16,500 square feet, this was a major project to preserve and celebrate Chicago’s history while incorporating Hawksmoor’s look, feel and sophistication for a truly memorable dining experience.
Housed in the former National Bank of Ireland, Hawksmoor Dublin is a remarkable restoration project and a significant landmark. With Italianate Neoclassical styles and unique features such as a 40-ft cast iron dome, we saw an exceptional opportunity to restore this historical building.
We embarked on an immersive design journey to bring Hawksmoor (the British steakhouse) to New York City. We restored the historic United Charities Building in Gramercy Park, preserving its landmark status – the dining room’s grandeur was meticulously brought back to life, featuring Ionic pilasters and coffered vaults.
Hawksmoor Wood Wharf, a floating pavilion in London’s docklands, provided us with a unique design opportunity. Drawing inspiration from travel’s golden age, the interiors capture the glamour of Hawksmoor in Manhattan and ocean liner aesthetics.
Hawksmoor Liverpool, built between 1924-32, blends Italian Renaissance and American Beau-Arts styles, and pays homage to the city’s maritime history.
The Lowback, sitting below deck at Hawksmoor Wood Wharf, presented a unique design challenge. The existing floor-to-ceiling glass allowed us to further enhance the space into a remarkable environment featuring a 9-metre brass serving area and a halo-lit Deco-style back bar.
In 1807, the Watney-Combe brewery’s original owner, Alderman Combe, hosted a steak supper for London’s elite, including the Prince of Wales. Drawing inspiration from the rich history of Hawksmoor Seven Dials, our task was to design a distinctive British steakhouse and cocktail bar to exude sophistication, creativity and grandeur.
Hawksmoor Manchester is a luxurious restaurant and cocktail bar located in a Grade II listed building that used to be the city’s former High Court Registry Office.
Hawksmoor Borough, located near London Bridge and a fantastic fresh food market, is situated in a former hops warehouse which was repurposed as a fruit warehouse and auction hall in 1932. Our challenge was to maintain the building’s heritage while reflecting Hawksmoor’s distinct personality.
Hawksmoor Air Street, located on the first floor of Regent Street’s grand crescent, draws inspiration from the former Art Deco heart of London, Piccadilly.
Located near the site of Dolly’s, the world’s first steakhouse – Hawksmoor Guildhall is a 250-cover restaurant and bar with a private dining room that honours London’s most exceptional steak.
Hawksmoor Spitalfields was the first restaurant from the award-winning steakhouse and cocktail bar, opening in 2006. The restaurant features bespoke stained glass windows, plush emerald green leather banquettes, and decorative lighting. The subterranean cocktail bar has a Prohibition New York speakeasy vibe, with bespoke peacock blue wall tiles.
Hawksmoor Knightsbridge is located in the subterranean Yeoman’s Row, surrounded by the prestige of Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and the V&A. Inspired by early Viennese architecture and the glamour of Art Deco, we created a restaurant and bar with a gently curvaceous ceiling and sleek, feminine brass arched windows.
Hawksmoor St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland’s first Hawksmoor, is located in a Grade A listed building which was once the Royal Bank of Scotland’s 1930s home. A considered approach was required, respecting the building’s grand Neoclassical style, influenced by American banking halls, by either incorporating or replicating original features such as mouldings and joinery.
We collaborated with BAO London to create Café BAO, a flagship restaurant and bakery at Pancras Square in King’s Cross.
Acclaimed steak restaurant Flat Iron opened its first north west venue in Deansgate’s Royal London House, Manchester. Through careful consideration and a meticulous planning process to adhere to conservation guidelines, Macaulay Sinclair worked to uncover the original fabric of the former retail unit – part of the prominent Charles Heathcote building designed in 1904.
Many of the original features, including plaster corbels and cornices, had been covered up by the previous occupants. With the help of specialist plaster workers, these were repaired and reinstated across the site to allow the detailing of the space to shine through.
Welcome to Flat Iron’s first venture in the North of England. Nestled within the Grade II listed historic former Church Institute Building on Lands Lane it was originally designed by architect duo Richard Adams and John Kelly. The building commands attention with its striking facade and prime position on a corner overlooking Albion Place.
Occupying prime position on the Southern Terrace of Westfield London, a palette of dark-stained oak panelling and rich wood finishes makes this instantly recognisable as a signature Flat Iron restaurant.
Dishoom, Battersea is a compelling design journey, mirroring the two phases of the Power Station’s construction. Our approach unfolded with a fascinating dual perspective. We envisioned an Irani café set in the 2020’s as imagined through a 1930’s lens. This liberated us from conformity to determine a broader and eclectic narrative.
The design story for Dishoom Canary Wharf evolved to imagine the fictional owner of the restaurant to be a financial fraudster from the 1970s operating close to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Situated in a Grade II* listed former stable block of the Western Transit Shed, Dishoom Kings Cross transports diners to 1930s Bombay while celebrating the building’s Victorian industrial heritage.
New Dishoom in Covent Garden, London celebrates the golden age of Parsi theatre, the talkies of Bombay, and the city’s old Irani cafes and private residences. A newly acquired space adjacent to the original Dishoom restaurant meant we could increase the overall footprint – touches of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and mid-century design provide a layered, textured aesthetic.
Dishoom in Birmingham, once known as the ‘city of a thousand trades’, is inspired by South Bombay’s marketplaces and the faded elegance of private residences.
In the corner of Kensington’s Grade II listed Barkers Building, we aimed to transport guests back to Jazz Age Bombay, incorporating authentic details of the traditional Irani cafes and Art Deco cinemas of southern Bombay.
Dishoom’s restaurants are each based on a unique story set in Bombay, which informs the design narrative. For the seventh restaurant and bar located in Manchester Hall, a Grade II listed masonic lodge building, the story revolves around Bombay’s freemasonry.
Dishoom Edinburgh is a three-floor restaurant located in the south side of St. Andrew Square. It is housed in a grade A listed building that was formerly an extension of Forsyth’s department store.
Dishoom celebrates the culture of South Bombay’s Irani cafes, with a design that is inspired by the youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in London’s Carnaby Street during the mid-1960s.
Caravan’s all-day coffee roasteries and restaurants in London offer a well-travelled feel. Our interior design for Bankside, City and Fitzrovia responds to their casual menu and philosophy of exploration.
Arcade Food Theatre is housed within a Grade II listed modernist building designed by R. Seifert & Partners in 1966. Originally a bus garage, the 12,500 sq ft space has been transformed into a playhouse for culinary experimentation.
Macaulay Sinclair were naturally drawn to reflect the site’s impressive industrial and canal-side heritage, but were equally compelled to create a luxurious backdrop, with a laidback feel.
Set in the heart of Nottingham’s Island Quarter development, industrial heritage inspired the creative thinking for this stunning all day restaurant, bar and entertainment setting.
The Journeyman, once an interwar-era automotive garage on Packhorse Road, Gerrards Cross, underwent a stunning transformation. While honouring its historical significance our aim was to create a sophisticated dining experience and bar with a lively outdoor terrace.
Set on the riverbank of the Thames in Circus West Village within the eagerly anticipated Battersea Power Station development, Francesco Mazzei’s latest restaurant patronage in partnership with D&D London is an ode to the relaxed casual dining of Mezzogiorno, his Southern Italian homeland.
Located within London’s landmark Grade II* listed Battersea Power Station development with the River Thames as backdrop, it was essential for Wright Brothers’ fifth restaurant to have a sense of establishment.
The Light Bar in Shoreditch pays homage to the borough’s 1900 motto of “more light, more power.” Housed in a Victorian power station built in 1893, the bar has a double-height space with remarkable industrial features that reflect its pioneering role in the development of electric power in London.