I recently went to eat at O&B in Toronto and was inspired by the many design features of the place, so I decided to take some pictures and share them with you. The style of the restaurant is an eclectic mix of country, industrial and contemporary decor. As you come in, the main focal point is the reception desk with a wall covered in bright white horizontal wood panels, adding texture behind the contrasting black logo. Adding the light on the sides and top, give the display even more impact. You can't miss it! Also, notice how the designers cleverly used that wall to create an intimate and cozy booth behind the reception desk. The three suspended glass fixtures emphasize the focal point even more without hiding the logo.
It's probably not from the designer, but I'm not too fond of the IKEA Kitchen cart in front of the desk. It takes away from the overall look. I think it would have been better to keep most of the books behind the counter, leaving only a couple at the time on the counter. I would also ditch the freestanding poster.
Another interesting design solution is how the designers created different sections with the use of color and architectural features. On the left, the chairs are whites and the ceiling is a little lower. On the right (which really was the center of the room), the ceiling is a little higher and has purple panels. That section is also anchored by the wine bottle display in the back and the series of organic light fixtures above the booths. Notice also that the chairs in this section are black on one side of the table and the other side have booths, which create a separation from the other side.
On the wall facing the bottle display wall are a series of enclosed booths, which is where we sat down. The same light fixtures used at the reception desk were used above each table. The wall were covered with metal ceiling panels. The design of the ceiling panels was emphasized with indirect lighting above and below them. This created a very nice mood.
The food was good. I would give it 8/10. The B.C. Albacore tuna tataki (left) was excellent and refreshing. The Japanese Chicken Ceasar Salad (centre) tasted really good, but the chicken was a little dry and the presentation could use a little help. The dessert (right) was excellent. It was an apple & wild blueberry crumble with Madagascar vanilla gelato. The candle and chocolate message (you can only see a little portion of it at the bottom) was a special add-on from our waitress.
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