Located in the heart of Parramatta’s growing nightlife and entertainment district, Restaurant 317 is renowned as one of the leading dining experiences that Church Street has to offer. Restaurant 317 offers diners a range of dining and entertaining options from their stylish designer bar and popular restaurant to their exclusive Oyster Bar and alfresco and private dining areas.

It’s recently opened Oyster Bar is part of Parramatta’s historic Oyster Lane.

“We wanted to offer our customers a point of difference which is why we launched the Oyster Bar. By utilising Oyster Lane we have created a sophisticated setting, which is very European and has created a unique dining experience for Parramatta,” owner, Pierre Sande said.

Ambience wise, CDC Design were aiming for a warm, rustic feel, ustilising recycled materials.

As the space entailed an existing restaurant with a new restaurant that was divided by the laneway, it was important to make the two venues and laneway feel linked. This was achieved by large bifolding windows to both laneway walls and using mirrors to reflect the space across the laneway. The design then bled onto the external laneway walls to extend the aged rustic feel, which provided a sense of relief from the recycled timber.

The use of recycled timber, rusted steel with bespoke light cages also designed by CDC Design, added a sense of warmth and earthiness.

The colour scheme was based on offsetting the timber and steel, with lighter hues to provide layering in the design. The oyster bar has bronze oyster shell tiles around the curved bench and there is an onyx backlit bar.

The diagonal timber screens that are mimicked onto the side walls, as well as the large slotted bifold windows, provide a link from one venue to another.

Lighting in the signage that is mimicked on both sides at the laneway entries as well as soft uplighting behind the seats gives a sense of warmth. The cage lights designed by CDC Design also offset from the timber panels, and provide a link between the two spaces.

The diagonal timber screens that are mimicked onto the side walls, as well as the large slotted bifold windows, provide a link from one venue to another.

Lighting in the signage that is mimicked on both sides at the laneway entries as well as soft uplighting behind the seats gives a sense of warmth. The cage lights designed by CDC Design also offset from the timber panels, and provide a link between the two spaces.