F.E.D. Restaurant in Shanghai by Alberto Caiola.

F.E.D. is a modern Shanghai eatery that serves ingenious cuisine by incorporating edible blooms into an innovative fusion of food and drinks. Inspired by the creativity of its dishes, the restaurant’s interiors incorporate visual abstractions of this central floral theme inside a bright, light, secluded hideaway.

An oasis of light and colour in Shanghai’s bustling Former French Concession, F.E.D. (Flowers Eat Drink) is a gateway to an immersive dining experience with distinctly floral overtones. This modern eatery marks Alberto Caiola’s second collaboration with July’s Flowers, which began with the brand’s flagship store. Elevating flowers to not just a feast for the eyes, but also one for the mouth, F.E.D. incorporates edible blooms into its contemporary fusion cocktails and cuisine.

Approaching via an unassuming concrete entrance, diners emerge into a tranquil garden that feels far removed from the frenzy of the street outside. Lined with bamboo along one side, the other offers floor-to-ceiling views into the restaurant’s interior. Framing the space is a marble counter loaded with blooms: reinforcing the eatery’s central theme, their mirrored presentation echoes that of the brand’s flagship store. Come nightfall, a full spectrum of LED lights transform the space into a tapestry of colour, while the brightly lit dining room beckons visitors inside.

Selected for its petal-like softness, a microfiber plush suede finish applied to ceilings and walls creates a sensory contrast to the space’s stainless steel partitions. A painted wooden white floor accentuates the restaurant’s black and gold-topped furniture.

Intriguing installations throughout the space reinforce F.E.D.’s contemporary floral theme, and invite guests to consider the potential of flowers. They include a large-scale wall illustration of a monochrome bloom caught mid-explosion. Above, a checkerboard of translucent geometric cells filter sunlight during daytime hours, and come evening time, the ceiling transforms into a dramatic chandelier structure.

In an otherwise open-plan space, semi-opaque screens of synthetic meshes and light tubes drop down from the ceiling to create discrete dining spots for patrons seeking a more intimate experience. The solution creates privacy, without compromising on the restaurant’s overall sense of openness.

In Shanghai, both testing ground and pacesetter of global trends, the edible flowers movement represents a new branch to an already rich and diverse dining scene. Recent years have seen food become a hot digital currency, as much about nourishing ourselves as our Instagram accounts. In the context of social media’s continued influence on consumers’ dining choices, F.E.D. emerges as a must-go place to indulge in a feast for the eyes, and for the mouth.

Related:
Flower Shop In Shanghai By Alberto Caiola.
Botanist Cocktail Bar In Shanghai By Alberto Caiola.

[Images courtesy of Alberto Caiola. Photography by Dirk Weiblen.]