We're Obsessed

This Divided Spanish Restaurant Is All About Colorful Geometric Tile

Why have one incredible design, when you can have two?
Image may contain Restaurant Furniture Chair Cafeteria Indoors Lobby Room and Cafe

In Valencia’s neighborhood of El Cabanyal–El Canyamelarl lies a myriad of architectural inspirations. The historic fishing village along the Mediterranean is filled with quaint huts and vibrant tiled façades, and this year it was named the fourth coolest neighborhood in Europe by The Guardian. We have to agree. Spanish design firm Masquespacio took a lesson from the neighborhood when it came to its latest project, La Sastreria, a split restaurant and bar concept, and designed the spaces with more tile than you could even imagine.

Everything. Gets. Tiled. From the bar counter to the tables and the walls, the checkerboard patterns in La Sastrería make the bar the perfect space to enjoy a cocktail.

We love the unexpected elements along the back wall that take the patterning to the next level.

The high-top stools are a nod to “tomar la fresca” (meaning “to take the fresh air”), as many locals bring plastic chairs outside to talk with neighbors when it’s too hot inside.

“In Canyamelar-Cabanyal, you can find a lot of workshops from smaller creators as well as some great bars with seafood, but [I enjoy] walking the streets and acknowledging the beautiful façades full of colorful tiles,” says Christopher Penasse, cofounder of Masquespacio.

For La Sastreria, a traditional tapas concept led by chef Sergio Giraldo, it was important to the owners that one side represent the neighborhood, while the other highlight Sergio’s cooking. The bar’s high-top stools are a nod to “tomar la fresca,” as many locals bring plastic chairs outside to talk with neighbors when it’s too hot indoors, while the color palette is an obvious homage to the surrounding architecture with custom-made prints from Masquespacio.

“As the tiles were custom-made, we needed to keep in mind that production would take between 40 and 60 days,” Christopher recalls. “There was a lot of coordination and adaption with the artisans.”

“Here we wanted to create a scene focused on the kitchen, submerging the whole restaurant as if you are in the middle of the sea, directed toward the most important part of the space. It’s pure fantasy, like Sergio’s dishes,” says Anna Milena Hernández, founder and creative director of Masquespacio.

A view straight into the kitchen, where Sergio whips up his incredible seafood dishes.

The fabric dining chairs are another maritime connection and reference fishing boats, while the glossy blue and white tiled floors represent the sand and sea.

The installation, which took two months for both spaces, includes the local handmade clay and ceramic tiles on the restaurant side. The wave of tile swells toward the kitchen and “centers the attention on Sergio’s dishes,” Christopher says. Upholstered banquettes in a lighter blue-green tone keep the space from seeming dark and heavy and infuse a sense of joy, while the hanging imperfect ceramic pieces, further center the focus on the Valencian cuisine.

For those looking to visit La Sastreria, Christopher and company hope that guests are able to relax and enjoy not only great food but an overall experience where the dishes and environment blend without boundaries.