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Viva la Kittyhawk: A Bar Inspired by 40s France

Viva la Kittyhawk: A Bar Inspired by 40s France

Viva la Kittyhawk: A Bar Inspired by 40s France

The Kittyhawk is a Sydney bar and restaurant designed by AZBcreative, and carrying a powerful personality through its vintage style and electric atmosphere.

Inspired by the 1944 liberation of Paris and the swagger of American GI’s celebrating across the French capital, Sydney’s Kittyhawk is a bar and restaurant that carries itself with a sparkling personality and charming joie de vivre. Created by the hospitality experts behind The Lobo Plantation, the venue itself is inspired by its namesake: the Kittyhawk World War II fighter plane, and the atmosphere of post-war festivities.

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Alex Zabotto-Bentley and his team at AZBcreative were enlisted to design the interior of the bar and restaurant, embarking on a multi-month journey that included an in-depth design plan, hunting for period accurate furniture and detailing, as well as the creation of entirely bespoke fixtures. The walls of the Kittyhawk are covered in a genuine 1940s William Morris Fool’s Parsley wallpaper, and the intricate 50, 000 piece floor mosaic was designed by Zabotto-Bentley exclusively for the venue.

“We love creating a dream-like environment for people to walk into,” says Zabotto-Bentley, “I always think that I want to create something that could sit beautifully in any country in the world.”

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The level of attention paid to each and every detail within Kittyhawk is astounding. Zabotto-Bentley and his team sourced art deco vessels, books, and photography from the period as well as a set of French doors from the 1840s that has been since converted into cabinets near the entryway. Referencing the Kittyhawk plane itself, the colour palette used is a subtle blend of khaki, mustard and hints of brass, and in the the central–and aptly named–Cockpit of the room is a 12 metre, hand-carved, French Oak bar.

For Zabotto-Bentley, “the whole thing is about snapshotting a time and a place, and slowly creating a story that unfolds over time. Patrons who come frequently find that every time they spot something different.”

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“I wanted to reference amazing conservatory spaces, or gorgeous hotel bars, or rum bars,” he continues, “with all the GIs coming back – guys and girls celebrating together. This sense of festivity and celebration really hooked me into the feel of the space.”

With a menu inspired by Parisian street food, courtesy of Jason Wright, and a cocktail menu that is both fun and modern, with a hint of the nostalgic, Kittyhawk is an immersive experience that puts a little touch of French liberté into the heart of Sydney.

AZBcreative
azbcreative.com

Kittyhawk
thekittyhawk.com.au

Photography by Jennifer Soo and Jason Jowett.

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