Indonesian-inspired steakhouse Hutchinson Cocktails & Grill embodies an East-meets-West spirit of duality between art and cuisine. Located in West Hollywood, Hutchinson Cocktails & Grill was designed by Relativity Architects (Relativity Architects is transitioning to Bell Design Group)
The design for Hutchinson Cocktails and Grill is steeped in family history. Richard Hutchinson Hopper, a man whom his family describe as a modern Indiana Jones, was the inspiration for this Indonesian influenced steakhouse. The restaurant design reflects his stunning journeys, from artfully placed personal artifacts to custom woodworking and Indonesian fixtures and furniture.
The challenge in designing Hutchinson was trying to achieve a contemporary aesthetic using culturally ethnic materials. The space itself underwent a major conversion from a Mexican themed restaurant to a classy space that embodies a museum-like quality. Much of the woodwork and fixtures was sourced directly from Jakarta and Bali, and we took great pains to not “theme” the restaurant. By approaching each space, i.e. the bar, the upper dining, etc., as a separate experience, one that reflected the life of Mr. Hopper, we were able to create an abstract of context.
The hand painted desert survey mural in the bar area is indicative of Mr. Hopper’s collegiate years, when he mapped the Mojave Desert. 300 gorgeous antique brass Batik stamps, called Tjaps, are individually framed around the upper dining areaand fish trap lamps filter warm light through their intricate designs. These are representative of his expeditions through Jakarta and 36 islands in Indonesia. The Post-Colonial private dining room envisions the reflections of those travels within cozy brick walls, rich wood details, a fireplace and custom shelving to display his collected artifacts. Deep-set leather booths (there are no chairs), heavy wood, and dim lighting round out the vibe—anywhere you sit at Hutchinson’s oozes sex appeal. It has a quintessential date night vibe, but the bar area, which is slightly more casual and in a separate, sunken-in section, also makes it a great spot for a business meeting.
A 6000SF building, 3500SF kitchen and 2500SF front of house make this one of the larger high-end restaurants in the heart of West Hollywood. The kitchen design is top of the line enabling a former Michael Mina chef to create an incredible array of food, from basic Indonesian street fare like Nasi Goreng or Beef Rendang, to world class tomahawk cut Steaks with a custom Béarnaise sauce.
The front of house is a mix of hand painted murals and native crafted Indonesian artifacts and custom woodworking. All of it framed in a contemporary manner to display the intricacies and details that are represented in that culture. Most beautiful are the antique bronze Tjaps, which are normally used in hand-stamping the detailed and colorful Batiks that make up the beautiful textiles from that area of the world. Other specialty design elements include Hand Printed Mirrors and Back Printed Resin Panels depicting 1930’s Indonesian jungle expeditions.
