There is something comforting about your neighborhood mom and pop joint but there is also something magical about walking into a well designed expansive space. The international Restaurant & Bar Design Awards may leave you with several that you may want to check out in person, if you can afford the flights…

The 2010 winners of the 2nd annual independent Restaurant & Bar Design Awards were announced this past June in London. Of the winners, we were impressed with The Tote by Serie Architects, the redesign of unused buildings on a race course in Mumbai, India. With the venue surrounded by rain trees, the designers brought the natural element indoors with tree like support structures throughout the space. Perhaps a bit literal but the engineering and precision manufacturing alone is amazing. The natural light and large glass windows allows you to enjoy the natural environment with the comforts of being indoors.

Within the bar, the theme is translated into stunning dark wood faceted paneling covering most of the wall space and continues up the ceiling giving you a feeling like you’re inside the trunk of a tree. A space you may surely decide to linger if you ever made the trip to India. Check out the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards site to see the entries and other winners.

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