The counter and the open kitchen as a show have become the great protagonists of restaurants

  • There are two defined modernity lines in the design of restaurants: the counter and the open kitchen as a stage for cooking shows and an exercise of transparency towards dinner guests.
  • The counter conveys the soul of our territory and gives us identity.
  • The state-of-the-art materials help to develop the dreams of ideas men such as chefs, architects and interior designers.

 

The Basque Culinary Center (BCC) has hosted a new session of Architecture and Cuisine Dialogues, organised by the Silestone Institute. The chef and businessman Carles Abellán,-Carles Abellán Group- the architect and gastronome Miquel Espinet –Espinet/Ubach Arquitectes– and Santiago Alfonso –Cosentino Group- have shared a round table to elaborate on the latest trends and novelties of the culinary space. The event has been moderated by Jorge Bretón, professor at the BCC.

 

The kitchen becomes a show for the dinner guest

Miquel Espinet has explained how the professional kitchen has evolved from being an inhospitable place to becoming a space that can be enjoyed and visited by customers and is open to the entire staff. For Espinet the design of restaurants has fully changed its style regarding materials, the floor tiles, the look of the countertop and sobres, the hoods…The incorporation of innovative materials that, apart from integrating new functionalities such as maximum heat resistance or zero porosity, allow the design of spectacular kitchens, in different colours, with strange, organic shapes…

He has also explained that nowadays the chefs are in the spotlight of world design. Today it is not necessary to build a skyscraper to win the Nobel prize in architecture. It is possible to build a restaurant and win the Pritzker. This is to the great credit of the cook and the chefs. Chefs are in the spotlight of world design.

According to Espinet, two large lines of modernity have opened up in restaurants in the last few years: the counter and the open kitchen. The counter is an element you lean on, where your meal is served, and which differentiates those who eat from those who serve. On the other hand, the kitchen becomes the focal point of the restaurant and it is a real show to see the chefs cook.

Restaurant La Barra de Carles Abellán, Barcelona

 

The counter conveys the soul of our territory, giving us identity

Carles Abellán, chef and businessman of the restaurant La Barra de Carlos Abellán, has explained the creative process of the concept and design of a restaurant. Abellán is a great fan of the counter, which he considers an element that offers dynamism and enjoyment to any establishment. According to the chef, the counter conveys the soul of our territory, it indicates that we like bars, that we like counters and that we enjoy them and eat very well on them. The counter has a very important social effect on the guests and also provides a close contact with the waiter that assists them. The counter provides us with an identity, something that is very obvious for us, but is not as obvious for those who come from abroad.