Stunning Stamford restaurant wins national design award

The 114-cover Hoppi Dorri restaurant, which opened last year in All Saints’ Place, is named after the famous street in Tokyo’s district of Asakusa, renowned among locals for food, drink, and experiencing Tokyo’s nightlife.

It was designed by B3 Designers to pay homage to the late-night Asian food markets, bringing the rich colours, textures, and flavours of south-east Asian and Japanese food to the west.

The design spans two floors, blending street art, colours, lanterns, and carefully-chosen furniture to bring to life the restaurant’s bold, honest, and nostalgic interiors.

A light industrial feel is achieved through the material palette - wiremesh, reclaimed wood, corrugated metal, and well-placed neon and coloured lights.

The ground floor features a 10-seat sushi bar where diners can absorb the theatre of watching the chef meticulously prepare sushi and sashimi. Upstairs, the first-floor bar is the focal point of the expansive dining area. Reclaimed windows and doors cleverly divide and add layers to the space, which gives way to a partially covered outdoor terrace.

“As an independent restaurant we are absolutely overjoyed to have won such a prestigious award in a relatively small town and to put Stamford on the map,” said Chris Riddle and Holly Withers of Hoppi Dorri.

“B3 truly brought our vision to life. We still get a buzz every day walking through the restaurant and we know our customers do too. To say we are proud is an understatement.”

“When designing the interiors for a restaurant, we draw inspiration from the owners and chefs, and characteristics of the cuisine and country,” said Mark Bithrey, Founder and Creative Director of London-based B3 Designers.

“For Hoppi Dorri, colour shone through right from the start. We were taken by the Japanese street market’s striking signages, layered neons, assorted yet complementary furniture, pops of bright posters and street art, and indoor-outdoor flexible F&B operations,”

Hoppi Dorri serves a celebration of fusion feasts and back-alley street food to deliver an eclectic mix of Japanese & South East Asian flavours. From sushi and dumplings, to ramen and noodles, there is something for everyone. Perfect for sharing, the menu is designed around small plates to animate taste buds. The restaurant uses authentic Asian ingredients as well as fresh local produce.

Currently closed, the restaurant will reopen for bookings once the lockdown lifts.