Project Team
design: Hecker Guthrie
lighting: PointOfView
Suppliers
furniture: Map Furniture, Angelucci 20th Centruy
tiles: Classic Ceramics, Eco Outdoor,
Photos: Shannon McGrath
Claremont Tonic has opened in South Yarra’s new ‘Yarra Lane’ precinct. Claremont Tonic is the newest project by Maison Davis, the group fresh from giving Mexican a Melbourne edge at the newly opened CBD cantina Touché Hombre.
Claremont Tonic is the creative vision of Maison Davis owner Davis Yu and his head chef Dylan Roberts. The two have put together a pan-Asian menu designed with sharing in mind that is built on the sharp, vibrant flavours that dominate the region’s cuisines.
The Claremont Tonic space is as energetic as the dishes themselves, and was realised as a collaboration between Maison Davis and design studio Hecker Guthrie. The concept for Claremont Tonic started back in 2010 when Davis, Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie first discussed concepts for the site and has evolved through many changes before arriving at the look and feel of the design today.
Relishing the coming together of their two distinct-yet-complimentary philosophies, the design houses have conceived and produced a space that unites an unmatched aesthetic and structural sensibility with the more experimental and cinematic concerns of a perfect hospitality experience. Rough and raw with a movie set edge, Claremont Tonic represents the fine balancing act involved in injecting lifestyle and culture into design.
The aesthetics themselves feed off the restaurant’s location in the heart of Melbourne’s thriving fashion culture, with the darker tones of black and grey in the fit out directly influenced by the city in love with black. Similarly, for energy Claremont Tonic draws on Melbourne’s famous rocking live music scene, long a hallmark of its famous nightlife.
With concrete block work, rough sawn timber and folded steel, the space is a mesh of durability and robustness.
Their response was to craft a dark, raw and edgy interior space. A backdrop over which these more thematic ideas could play out.
Hamish Guthrie says, “Working together on the Claremont Tonic space was as much about pushing creative boundaries as having fun and crafting a distinct dining experience,”
“It’s the interior you wouldn’t take home to meet your mother,” said Hamish.
The intimate interior has been created with distinct areas in mind and this allows for myriad different experiences of the restaurant; from the bar, to the booths, a feast on the high-top communal table to quick eats along the windows.
The construction process was a response to the limitations of the space, and with the external facade dictated by the already standing building, Davis and Hecker Guthrie had to be flexible with their choices to activate a seamless flow from the external to internal.
Davis is thrilled with the result, “The design feels close to my heart, it feels real. I think we’ve succeeded in giving Melbourne culture and life a physical form, connecting with the city. We’ve put in custom designed sculptures and art pieces to really complete the space.” said Davis.
Interiors include the strong and fun Asian inspired graphic language, commissioned neon artwork, an eclectic and diverse collection of found objects and paraphernalia adding another complex and cinematic layer to the room.