Abu Gosh Middle Eastern Café & Restaurant by Studio Shoo.

Situated in a petit two-story building, Abu Gosh is an authentic Middle Eastern cafe infused with a bold dose of colour. The second-of-its-kind, design studio Studio Shoo took on the challenge of creating an interior that balances the heritage building’s existing charm with the restaurant’s buoyant identity.

“We [were] faced with a difficult task—on the one hand, we had to save the unique atmosphere in the interior of the building, which was obtained when creating the first Abu Gosh, and on the other hand, we had to carefully introduce new contact points for our beloved guests,” elaborates lead architect, Shushana Khachatryan.

The colour story begins in a big way from the outside, painted in blue with yellow window panes hinting at what lies inside. Greeted by a midnight blue hallway with matching curtains, an archway leads to the bright ground floor with a view of the open kitchen. Tiles by Italian designer Elisa Passino cover the floors and bar, the mesmerising repetition of pink, light and deep blue in an arch shape echoed throughout the interior.

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A communal table is paired with smaller tables and chairs and windowsill spots to perch. Matching the tiles, furnishings are layered in the same blue and pink alongside surprise accents—from the arched bathroom and matching arched windows concealing the stairwell in yellow to the red signage on the walls in Hebrew and Arabic lettering.

Upstairs, a more subdued—yet still characteristically colourful—lounge space provides a space for quiet refuge and private conversations alongside an amphitheatre for gatherings, lectures and events. A two-level chandelier made from a playful custom blue pipe connects these two floors.

The colourful ambience of Middle Eastern culture was emphasised through authentic details; from the inviting colour story to a myriad of details including painted plates and other antiques from flea markets.

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[Images courtesy of Studio Shoo. Photography by Katie Kutuzova.]