Sagar London by Knox Bhavan Architects

Knox Bhavan Architects has completed its first restaurant project, transforming a previously run down High Street premises in Harrow into an ambient, contemporary South Indian Vegetarian eatery.

Well situated for the local Gujarati Community, and Indian vegetarian food markets and shops, the new flagship restaurant in Harrow will be the mini chain’s fourth in London, with others being located in Covent Garden (West End), Percy Street (Fitzrovia, Camden), and Kings Street (Hammersmith).

A new 1.5m deep extension to the rear has allowed for a new staff area and a cold food storage space, and an existing small internal courtyard has been filled in to provide a disabled toilet and a more practicable preparation area for the kitchen. The existing building was completely stripped out and a thorough internal refurbishment has taken place, increasing the floor area by 12% from 107 to 120 sqm and providing space for 64 covers. The shop front has been remodeled in glass to create a welcoming atmosphere.

Inside, a characterful palette of exposed red brick, warm timber and contemporary tiles is illuminated by soft, simple lighting. A decorative polished brass surface above the bar gives depth to the setting and reflects the restaurant’s character back into the room. Seating is arranged down either side of the simple rectangular plan. Directly above the seating, running the length of the restaurant, Knox Bhavan worked with their in-house illustrator to create beautiful hand drawn murals, depicting easily recognizable stories from Hindu Mythology, which have proved extremely popular.