IZAKAYA Munich is a unique mix of the ethnic feel of a Japanese inspired restaurant and the modern, sleekly but elegant Hotel Roomers. Designed by Dutch practice concrete, the Japanese stand-alone restaurant IZAKAYA, located in the building of Hotel Roomers — also designed by the Amsterdam-based studio — announces its presence to the guests at the moment of arrival, with the show kitchen visible through the glass facade of the porte-cochere from Hotel Roomers Munich.
The restaurant itself is composed of an array of black materials, with a contrasting feature of light wooden lamellas along the ceiling and wall towards the kitchen. The space is structured into two zones by a solid seating booth element in the centre. A three-step level change separates the bar zone at the entrance from the quieter restaurant zone in the rear.
The rotating vertical panels in the centreline of the booth element can connect or separate the space depending on the angle of rotation. One side of the panel features a Japanese-inspired artwork on silkscreen by artist Gijs Scholten. In the early evening, the whole space can appear as one. After restaurant hours, the bar can be closed off to establish a darker and cosy mood that lasts deep into the night. The eye-catcher of the restaurant zone is the oversized wooden koi-carp lamp by LZF above the long table.
all images © concrete / Steve Herud