Sonora

A mezcal bar that eschews the traditional Mexican archetype of sugar-skulls and Frida Kahlo memorabilia. Instead Sonora’s aesthetic is rough, unfinished and un-ashamedly elegant, focusing on textures and natural materials. With a small and oddly shaped spatial foot print the layout for the restaurant presented a certain challenge but the resulting design, with the kitchen occupying the main street frontage rather than being hidden away in the back, creates a dynamic and engaging dining experience.

Coarse concrete walls, aged mirror, leather and metal chairs, neon signage and ubiquitous cacti come together to create a casual yet refined dining experience that is a subtle nod to the relaxed small bar scene of Mexico city both in tone and tempo. A neutral colour palette was chosen to let the focus be on the vibrant, colourful food offering, whilst pops of colour in the dichroic mirror around the space give the bar a contemporary futuristic edge.