DIAL8,
London
DIAL8 is the private bar beneath Chateau Denmark, reached through a discreet door on Flitcroft Street. At its heart is a fully bespoke curved underbar, proof that a striking form and serious capability can share the same two metres.
Client
Chateau Denmark
Location
London
Our scope
Underbar
Completed
December 2022
Interior design
GRAPES
In partnership with
Caw Ventures
Photography
Michael Franke
The brief
Chateau Denmark opened DIAL8 alongside its cocktail bar, Thirteen, in 2023. Where Thirteen is bold and energetic, DIAL8 is intimate and discreet, a destination for those in the know that host private events, receptions, launches and after parties for up to 40 guests seated or 50 standing.
The bar at its centre follows a tight curve. Chateau Denmark wanted it to be as capable as it is beautiful, able to serve a full room at once from the most compact of footprints.
A curve made to work
DIAL8 was designed alongside Thirteen with Darren Grapes and Caw Ventures. Where Thirteen is a cocktail bar through and through, DIAL8 is the statement piece, and its curved underbar is the clearest example of what designing every unit from scratch makes possible.
No standard unit could follow a curve this tight. Each element was drawn to the line of the bar, so the station sits naturally within the arc and no space is lost to awkward corners or gaps.
Designing the workstation
Across roughly two metres, the curved stainless steel underbar holds an insulated, compartmented cocktail station with space for ice, bottles and a preparation sink, served by a double curved speed rail.
Flat preparation counters and space for a coffee machine sit alongside, with every millimetre of the compact footprint put to use and everything a bartender needs within a single reach.
The arched back bars and hanging bottle rails above the curved bartop
The insulated icewell and double curved speed rail
The bar from the lounge, beneath its suspended bottle rail
The curved underbar following the line of the bar, with its brass service rail
The bespoke curved service rail is both a statement and a working tool. It catches spills, supports the bar’s operation and gives the bartender room on the bartop to show their craft and flair to the guests in front of them.
Behind the bar, a 1.6 metre back of house with drained counters, gratings and a wash up sink keeps the evening running smoothly. The bar was designed in-house and installed in December 2022.
“We worked with Cantilever Bars for our award winning designed bar Thirteen and DIAL8.”
Alan Petrie, Chateau Denmark and Caw Ventures