In the dense urban fabric of Shoreditch, London’s Mitsu restaurant arrives as a curated homage to the Tokyo izakaya. Designed by Barcelona-based Astet Studio, the space attempts to bridge the gap between a traditional Japanese tavern and the high-energy nightlife of a modern metropolis. The project avoids literal pastiche, opting instead for a material palette that suggests a history evolved over time—a "lived-in" warmth framed by contemporary architectural precision.
The transition from the street is marked by a deliberate sequence of thresholds. The exterior utilizes concrete panels textured to mimic *yakisugi*, the ancient Japanese practice of charring wood for preservation. Guests pass through a *tsuboniwa*—a traditional courtyard garden—before entering a corridor defined by LED arches. This progression serves as a sensory reset, moving the patron from the gray of East London into a space where industrial steel and soft textiles coexist.
Inside, the design centers on an eight-meter-long bar that appears to float beneath a blackened steel structure. Above it, hand-painted fabrics reference *noren*—the traditional dividers found at the entrances of Japanese shops—featuring sake-inspired motifs. These suspended elements create what co-founder Oscar Engroba describes as an "enveloping micro-space," using soft architecture to modulate the room's scale and energy. It is a study in how traditional cultural markers can be abstracted to define the atmosphere of a modern interior.
With reporting from Dezeen.
Source · Dezeen
