Awakening authenticity in every detail
Our brief was to evolve Comptoir’s much-loved vibrant brand identity into a more mature and immersive guest experience, while solving the spatial imbalances that left the lower level underused.
Our response: a space that doesn’t just welcome guests but enlightens them.
Repurposed and upcycled furniture from other sites puts a real focus on sustainability.
The experience starts from the moment people walk into the space, their eyes being drawn to the arched lower ground and its open kitchen.
Designing with Purpose: Connecting Culture to Space
We approached the project using strong interior and architectural design principles, balancing authenticity with imaginative and considered storytelling.
We began by rethinking the customer journey. A reconfigured entrance now acts as an intentional portal, welcoming guests with new energy and views of the open kitchen and downstairs archway. This upper level is now alive with theatre; the kitchen framed by a decorative gantry, turning culinary craft into a captivating performance. This is not just about casual dining – it’s a window into the soul of the brand.
Transforming the Lower Level
Arabic tile floorwork guides guests deeper into the hospitality experience, to the reimagined floor below. Here, a once underused and dark space is reborn. A sculptural tree-like centrepiece weaves together green vines and layered lighting to create a space guests now want to retreat to and discover.
Our interior design deepened the brand’s authenticity by replacing kitch with craft – hand-selected photos of founder Tony Kitous and his family, paired with Arabic artwork and natural planting bring a sense of soul and place.
Sustainable Design, Thoughtfully Delivered
Sustainability played a central role in shaping our thinking. We reused and upcycled furniture, repurposed lighting from the client’s collection, and used ivy and cladding to solve issues of water ingress while retaining the character of the exposed brick.
Adaptive Restaurant Design
Levantine hospitality is cemented further through the careful consideration of every seating element; from intimate booths to flexible communal tables which adapt to daily rhythms—a quick coffee, a shared meal, or post-theatre drinks at the bold lower-ground bar.
This wasn’t just about interiors, it was about transforming perception—turning a complex site into a layered, sensory, and emotionally resonant brand home.
Comptoir Libanais Southbank now feels alive with story and spirit—an environment that reflects Harrison’s belief in the power of design to elevate hospitality into something unforgettable.
Comptoir Libanais is a truly immersive experience, with a strong base of existing customers who love their restaurants not only for their food, but for making people feel like they’ve stepped into a whole different part of the world. It has a colourful décor which stands out on the high street, coupled with bright flora and displays of adornments inspired by travels to the Middle East and North Africa. We wanted to stay true to the brand while helping it take the natural next step in their evolution. If you look across the high streets, it’s the restaurants which have learnt to evolve in a considered way which have stood the test of time, and this is what we hope to do with the team at Comptoir.
Related projects
Let’s create something unforgettable
Fuelled by knowledge and imagination, we are driven by our ambition to evolve hospitality brands.
