This modern restaurant in Pune with a traditional heart

Minnie Bhatt Design mixes the old and new to showcase a India modern style for restaurant Bharat Bhavan.

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Prashant Bhat; courtesy Minnie Bhatt Design

Pune-based Bharat Bhavan’s logo and brand identity was the primary inspiration for the design of this restaurant. The brief required the designer to create a contemporary restaurant with its heart rooted in India. As the modern Indian is well travelled and exposed to various world cultures yet loves his Indian food and the diversity of his country; the design team decided to depict the history of India through the interiors of the space. The flooring is inspired by the British colonial era terrazzo, the walls by the palaces of Rajasthan, the artworks are contemporary with Indian subjects, the bar is modern in cast concrete though it’s form (the arch) is old world.

It was a conscious effort by the design team to mix the old with the new in all the elements crafted for Bharat Bhavan. For instance, the pendant lights which form the central highlight of the restaurant is modern in its form, but is made in a traditional brass finish. The large lights emerging out of the curved wall has a modern form but an earthy terracotta shade. The divider screens that hide the kitchen and bathroom entrances are custom created prints, again with an eclectic mix of Indian elements.

The facade of the restaurant draws inspiration from the palaces of India and their architecture but is depicted in a contemporary fashion. The furniture is eclectic with cushioned couches, teak wood chairs and marble top tables. The colour palette of the restaurant is pastel with the exception of a dull pink wall inspired by Jaipur.