Avenue Café Bar & Restaurant, Astoria, NY

For the renovation and remodeling of Avenue Café, we designed a welcoming and modern dining experience centered around a striking island bar. Detached from the walls, this central floating bar allows customers to sit on all four sides, creating a social and interactive atmosphere. We positioned the bar near the street frontage to keep the more intimate seated dining area toward the rear, maximizing both public and private dining experiences.

Drawing inspiration from Mediterranean outdoor bars, we introduced a wood slat ceiling above the bar. This ceiling mitigates glare from the downlights while evoking the feel of wooden pergolas, paying homage to the relaxed, outdoor café culture of the Aegean. The interior features warm backlighting, natural textures, and sleek, geometric wooden forms that bring a sophisticated ambiance to the space.

With a seating capacity of 93, including bar stools, Avenue Café comfortably accommodates patrons in various dining settings. The renovation encompassed both front-of-house and back-of-house areas, including the kitchen, storage, management offices, and staff locker areas, ensuring a seamless blend of form, function, and aesthetic appeal.