10 Questions with Martin Brudnizki
Describe Annabel's in 5 Words or Less.
Eccentric. Hedonistic. Fun. Detailed.
How does the aesthetic connect with the food?
British classics are served in The Rose Room and Garden Terrace, which have been inspired by the English garden, whereas an Asian Fusion menu is served in The Elephant Bar, which has been decorated with a bespoke de Gournay wallpaper depicting a traditional Indian scene. Finally, in The Mexican Bar, delicious Mexican food is served. Everything flows.
If you could invite anyone, living or dead, to eat at Annabel’s, who would it be and why?
Diana Vreeland, Princess Margaret, Lady Diana Cooper, Oliver Messel and The Dowager Countess of Grantham (fictional character from Downtown Abbey). They’re all fabulous and I’m sure we’d have a great laugh.
Besides this restaurant, what is your all-time favorite place to eat?
Scott’s, where I always have the Dover sole.
What design elements do you view as most fundamental to hospitality?
Perfect lighting and comfortable seating.
If you could eat one thing from this restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I like good, honest British food so perhaps the steak or some fresh fish. The lobster linguine is pretty decadent too.
If you could take one element from the design of this restaurant and use it in your house, what would it be?
The boldness of colour and pattern
Complete this sentence: If I weren’t a designer, I would be an _______:
Art collector.
Better restaurant keepsake: matchbook, coaster or cocktail napkin?
Matchbook
Describe the most memorable night you’ve ever had at Annabel’s.
I enjoy going to Annabel’s with my partner and friends. Often we will go for dinner on the terrace before ending up down in the nightclub drinking Negronis and maybe even enjoying a dance before heading home to bed. This summer the weather has been quite amazing, so I have also enjoyed spending long sunny afternoons on the terrace savouring some cold rose and enjoying the fresh pasta.
More about Martin Brudnizki:
Martin is listed within the London Evening Standard’s Progress 1000, House and Garden’s Top 100 Leading Interior Designers, Debrett's 500 Most Influential People in the UK, The Who's Who List of Influential People around the World, Elle Decoration’s List of Best British Architects and Designers and Wallpaper* Magazine’s Power 200, with the latter describing him as “one of the best restaurant and hotel designers of his generation.”
To see more of his work, check out our exclusive collection of light fixtures designed by Martin Brudnizki.
