Lafayette Noodle Bar
New York, New York

Schematic Design 2008

Design Team
Brian Messana, Toby O’Rorke, Anita Bahmüller, Benedikt Eckert, Adil Azhiyev, Christopher Biggin, Gabriel Benarrous

Noodle bars are a fun place to grab a satisfying meal. The best are casual, noisy and high energy, with diners coming and going at the counter and the kitchen’s chaos on full display. While our Lafayette Noodle Bar elevates the design, it’s intended as an unfussy, neighborhood place that attracts a loyal following who appreciate its authenticity and great food.

Located in New York’s NoHo district, the full-glass storefront exposes Lafayette Noodle Bar’s hustle and bustle to passers-by. Typical of noodle bars in Japan, the kitchen is open and exposed with counter service, as well as large, canteen-style tables with benches that make dining a shared, social occasion. Customers seated at the long counter are drawn into the kitchen’s messy whirl and clatter as it manages orders, cooking and service.

Fine materials and finishings set the design apart, including the solid oak tables and benches. The bar is created out of an ebonized oak box separated into two halves. The top half contains recessed lighting so it glows like a light box. For the counter, an oak plank cantilevers from the bottom ebonized oak box. A flat brass bar reflects light over the bar and echoes the suspended, custom brass light fixture that runs down the center of the space, which has gallery-like concrete floors.

In contrast to the hushed, precious atmosphere of many restaurants, this spot captures the organized chaos inherent to noodle bars.

Renderings by Messana O’Rorke