6 Top Restaurant Design Firms | The Hostess Station

In our last post, we discussed how great design can make a big difference in customers’ dining experiences. One way to ensure great design is to hire a great design company. Not sure where to start? No worries. We’ve rounded up a list of Top San Diego firms. It includes companies that will help you perfect every stylistic element, from interior design to foodservice.

1. AWBREY COOK ROGERS MCGILL ARCHITECTS + INTERIORS

Locations: Hillcrest

Accolades: Featured by Food Network

Portfolio Highlight:

The 12-story Pendry Hotel including its restaurant centerpiece, Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine. Wood, copper, and brass elements come together to make this two-level wonder feel warm and welcoming.

2. BASILE STUDIO

Locations: Little Italy, South Park

Accolades: Eater San Diego, Design of the Year Award in 2019 for Morning Glory. Multiple awards from the American Institute of Architects and San Diego Architectural Foundation.

Portfolio Highlights:

Little Italy’s stunning Morning Glory serves brunch against a backdrop of exquisite details. An electric pink starburst welcomes customers into a front room that opens into a sophisticated version of a diner. Wrapped in polished copper shingles, the second-level space has 24 articulated windows that move throughout the day plus a custom pink-and-black terrazzo floor. The main dining room features a luxurious open kitchen in 80s pink and green, as well as a backlit, hand-etched mirrored ceiling.

Vegan craft cocktail enclave Kindred is an architectural showpiece. Opened in late 2015, restaurateurs Kory Stetina and Arsalun Tafazoli collaborated with Paul Basile to craft a space that is a striking interplay of dark and light.

3. H2 HAWKINS + HAWKINS ARCHITECTS, INC.

Locations: Little Italy, Mission Hills

Accolades: 2014 San Diego Orchid and the 2014 Builder’s Choice/Custom Home Magazine Grand Award, nine Gold Nugget awards of Merit, and two Grand Gold Nugget Awards for outstanding design from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference.

Portfolio Highlight:

Mission Hills restaurant Oliver & Rose features a large wood beam accent, offering both function and form. Warmed by red brick walls, tall ceilings are decorated with exposed piping. Large windows allow natural light to accentuate the restaurant’s earthy but industrial atmosphere.

4.LAHAINA ARCHITECTS

Locations: North Park, Coronado

Accolades: Featured on San Diego Architects list of Best Restaurant Architects in San Diego.

Portfolio Highlights:

One of San Diego’s most Instagrammable spots—Holy Matcha. Its soft pink signature color begins in the façade and continues into the bright interior. Tropical greens are complemented by brass fixtures, quartz countertops, a velvet banquette, Parisian-style bistro seating, and a custom neon sign.

A 10,000-square-foot head-to-toe renovation of The Hotel Del Coronado’s Babcock and Story Bar that celebrates the building’s storied history.

5. TECTURE INC.

Locations: North Park, Coronado

Accolades: Garnered praise and awards from San Diego Magazine, Eater, Modern Luxury, and the San Diego Architectural Foundation (SDAF).

Portfolio Highlights:

Seaside favorite George’s At The Cove in La Jolla. Sparkling ocean views complement the modern yet welcoming decor.

Rooftop wonder Kettner Exchange in Little Italy. The recipient of the coveted Orchid & Onion award for Architecture, Kettner Exchange’s design pays homage to San Diego founding father William Kettner. The restaurant boasts two levels of indoor/outdoor drinking and dining, filled with subtle nods to the city’s bay and nautical history.

6. DESIGN PERSPECTIVES

Locations: North Park, Coronado

Accolades: Multiple ASID Design Excellence awards.

Portfolio Highlights:

Retro classic Corvette Diner in Point Loma’s Liberty Station.

Mission Hills Mediterranean gem, Fort Oak. Splashes of royal blue, modern white tile, and metallic gold accent an ambiance centered around the ideals and ideas of live-fire cooking by the hearth.

Where to Spot More Design Superstars