The design of The Abbot’s Cellar restaurant seeks to honor the rich history behind the project. The space is located in a historic building, with walls featuring bricks re-claimed from the rubble of the 1906 earthquake. This resourceful re-use of bricks inspired our material choices. We sought to use recycled and re-claimed materials wherever possible – reclaimed barn wood siding and flooring, recycled denim insulation (for acoustical absorption), steel with high recycled content, and recycled beer bottles as aggregate in the bottle-shaped sink basin.
The Abbot’s Cellar is at the forefront of the beer pairing movement, offering a world-class menu of local and Belgian craft beer served at optimal temperature in the appropriate glassware, which is proudly backlit and displayed behind the bar. The seasonal cuisine features prix fixe tasting menus paired with beer. The extensive beer menu (built into the tables) and knowledgeable staff create an atmosphere where guests can delve into trying a wide range of beers paired with food. The design focuses on providing a relaxed atmosphere for exploring beer pairing, and on honoring the historic building and the lineage of old-world craft beer brewing that originated in Monasteries hundreds of years ago. The stone beer cellar recalls this Monastic heritage, and a book ledge along the chef’s counter displays historic texts about food and beer. While many of materials are weathered and rustic, the detailing of the design allows them to simultaneously feel aged and in character with the historic space, while also being decidedly modern and elegant.