The Park: A New World Brasserie Inspired by Classic Tradition
Poised on the edge of London’s iconic Hyde Park, The Park is a modern brasserie that elegantly bridges past and present. Commissioned by hospitality icon Jeremy King and designed by Studio Shayne Brady, this restaurant is a warm, evocative homage to the great brasseries of history—reimagined through a contemporary lens.
Despite its thoroughly modern setting—a standalone space within a new building—The Park captures the timeless charm of European and American dining culture. “It’s like stepping off Fifth Avenue into a Central Park-side classic, only to find oneself still in London,” says Shayne Brady. The venue includes a sophisticated bar, relaxed dining area and intimate private dining room, each element unfolding as a cohesive story of nostalgia, modernity and refined taste.
Design Challenges and Creative Triumphs
Creating a brasserie within a modern shell brought its fair share of challenges. New-build construction often lacks the adaptability needed for a full-scale restaurant install. Collaborating with WFC contractors, Studio Shayne Brady navigated these structural limitations with finesse.
One particularly ambitious element was the double-curved staircase, now a dramatic feature upon entry. This masterpiece, though elegant in final form, required relentless iteration from design through to installation, becoming a true labour of love.
Another curveball came late in the process when a previously commissioned mural for the main dining room was deemed unsuitable. It was a bold design decision by Jeremy King and Shayne as they sat in the room and pondered. They decided to omit the piece entirely, preserving the purity of the overall vision.
Design Vision Realised
From the moment guests arrive, they are greeted by warm Limba timber, its curved forms guiding them inward like the contours of nature. The sumptuous use of natural materials throughout—leather, timber, brass, and alabaster—reflects both the landscape of Hyde Parkand the soft glamour of classic interiors.
The sweeping staircase, which leads down to exquisitely designed restrooms, nods to American diners of the past, adorned with iconic photography from Horst P. Horst. Adjacent, The Manhattan Room (below right) —a private dining space for twelve—is a jewel box of caramel and rust tones, layered with curated art, custom murals, and soft draped curtains. It’s a room meant for conversation, celebration, and lingering long past the final course.
The main bar transforms effortlessly from day to night. With its undulating timber front, organic flooring, and natural flow, it reflects the aesthetic of the park outside, fusing interior and exterior worlds. At the windows, custom louvre blinds reimagine traditional café curtains in warm brass and timber, offering both function and flair.
Throughout the restaurant, wall panelling in honeyed timber, inset art displays, and tone-on-tone leather banquettes nod to the brasserie heritage without feeling beholden to it. Every detail—from the modernist fiddle rails to the alabaster lighting—has been considered, curated, and executed with elegant restraint.
Lighting, Art and Materiality
A custom suite of lighting, developed in collaboration with Atelier Lighting, provides warmth and mood throughout the day. The sculptural forms of the fixtures hint at a futuristic optimism, while their alabaster material ensures a timeless glow.
Art plays a pivotal role in the atmosphere of The Park. The collection—curated by Jeremy King and Studio Shayne Brady—features works by Corbusier, Horst P. Horst, Alex Katz, and Ti Foster. These pieces feel less like decoration and more like integral threads of the narrative, echoing the venue’s ambition to be both reflective and forward-thinking.
In the private dining room, a ceiling mural created by Studio Shayne Brady, Michael May and Atma Studio brings an imaginative take on Central Park’s plan—another nod to the transatlantic influences that shaped the space.