Avenue Café Bar

Avenue Café Bar, Astoria, Queens (Initial Design Studies)

The design for Avenue Café Bar & Restaurant is conceived as a contemporary Mediterranean interior shaped by structure, light, and material richness. A centrally positioned island bar anchors the space as a sculptural and social core. Fully detached from the perimeter walls, the bar allows seating on all sides and establishes clear visual connections across the dining room, while subtly organizing more intimate seating zones toward the rear.

Overhead, a custom wood ceiling framework spans the space, forming a rhythmic, geometric canopy that recalls the pergola structures of Aegean cafés. Integrated light elements within this lattice soften illumination, filter glare, and create a warm, layered ceiling condition that defines the dining experience from above.

The perimeter walls are articulated with softly contoured surfaces and backlit textured panels, introducing depth, shadow, and a handcrafted quality. These elements balance the strong linearity of the ceiling structure and reinforce a sense of enclosure without heaviness. A refined palette of wood, stone, metal, and marble grounds the space in natural materials while maintaining a distinctly urban character.

Generous glazing and operable storefront elements visually connect the interior with the street, allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the plan and enhancing the café’s presence along the avenue. The overall layout carefully transitions from an animated front-of-house environment to more intimate dining areas, supporting a range of dining and social experiences.

The renovation scope included full front- and back-of-house planning, encompassing kitchen, storage, office, and staff support spaces. The final configuration accommodates 93 seats, including bar seating, and delivers a cohesive dining environment where Mediterranean inspiration is translated through contemporary architectural form and detail.