Designing a Restaurant for Diner Interaction
Photo Credit: A peek inside Bastion, located in Nashville, Tenn. Bastion
Skift Take
Memorable design can invite diners to linger over a great restaurant experience just as much as a stunning plate of food. At Bastion in Nashville, Tenn., the building's unique physical dimensions help to facilitate as many personal interactions between staff and diners as possible.
Bastion in Nashville, Tenn. is disorienting in the best way: you might not know who is in what position (is that person the chef, a sommelier, or a host?), what the next course consists of beyond its vague menu description (Blackberry + Oregano doesn’t tell you much about that dish), or what song might be played next on the turntable (the restaurant has an impressive vinyl collection).
That’s all part of the design, of course. It’s a playful and welcoming experience beginning with the building itself.
Executive Chef Josh Habiger, formerly of Catbird Seat and The Patterson House in Nashville, and a member of the opening staff of Alinea in Chicago, is all about breaking down the formal ideas of the restaurant as we’ve come to know it. At Bastion, Habiger built an environment that inspires personal interaction between diners and the chefs, as well as creating a place that allows the individual to serve
