This small establishment devoted to Indo-Catalan cuisine participates intensely in the somewhat light-hearted character which the author confesses to have applied in its design.
This “Indian garito”, an “Indian joint”, is a small establishment in the centrally located Plaça dels Ángels of Barcelona’s Raval district.
The goal of the intervention consisted of achieving a fairly light-hearted aesthetic through which to enhance the gastronomic offering of Ivan Surinder: bold Indian-Catalan food.
Its design is dominated by the use of natural materials such as the clay cladding bricks on the floor and the coloured tiles on the walls, while the different yellow, orange and red hues were chosen for giving shape to the mural of an entire wall of the Mirch restaurant; the word means spicy in India.
To emphasise the spicy tones, the rest of the premises are clad in pleated sheet metal painted in a neutral colour.
For the furniture, tables were designed with a black iron structure and large-format terrazzo tiles in a grey and white colour for the tabletops. In order to make the most of the space, some industrial cartons have been transformed into a sort of seat in which to store handbags and coats.
The lighting of the area above the tables combines Santorini lamps by Marset in white and yellow to bring warmth into the interior. The most colourful part of the establishment features simple glass and ceramic fixtures for spotlighting.
At the end of the corridor a neon tiger crowns the restaurant, tinting everything in the red hues that represent the spice used in the food served at MIRCH.
It is all supported by the powerful graphics created by Adriá Pifarré. The presence of Nath, Ivan’s father, is in the air thanks to the caricature on the entrance to the joint, angrily grimacing as if saying: “What have you done, my son? I gave you a restaurant and you’ve gone and set up a joint”.
