Australia has come away with three gongs from the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, held recently in London.

Now in its eighth year, the program is predominantly UK-focussed but it also offers a number of international category prizes, three off which were taken out by Australian designers.

Melbourne café ‘Kitty Burns’ was awarded the best overall Café award ahead of eight other shortlisted projects, its designer, Biasol Design Studio impressing the judges with their material choices and layout strategy.

“A really cool space that almost looks as though it’s been cut out of paper,” says Bernadette le Roux, awards judge and Editor in Chief of South African publication Conde Nast.

“Great texture throughout, minimalist and interesting all at once.”

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Melbourne Café Kitty Burns pipped other Australian projects from ZWEI Interiors Architecture, Studio Esteta, Studio-Gram and Matt Woods Design to claim the Café category prize. Image: supplied


Sans-Arc Studio’s now famous Pink Moon Saloon in Adelaide also took out an award, the tiny timber lined bar, which is wedged between two low-rise office blocks on Leigh Street in the CBD, received the Australia & Pacific Bar category ahead of four other projects from Australia.

“This small building is like ‘my drink hut’ in the city,” says Shigenori Hamaguchi, Editor in Chief of  UK magazine, Elle Deco.

“We can feel forest and nature here. Lovely concept.”

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Pink Moon Saloon was designed by graduate architect Matiya Marovich of Sans-Arc Studio, only three years after he graduated from university. Images: supplied


Sydney Vietnamese restaurant So 9 was voted best restaurant in the Australia & Pacific region, its designer Brandworks beating a number of projects from high-profile Australian designers like Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Paul Kelly Design and Luchetti Krelle in the process.

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The best overall bar came from Spanish designers El Quipo Creativo while the world’s best new restaurant went to London’s German Gymnasium by Conran & Partners.