Shaffa is a high end restaurant & bar, forming part of our 80 Albion project. The venue is sited within the new courtyard atrium, between an Inn from 1855 and a Church from 1884.

Our brief was to emulate the experience of being in a bustling and vibrant Middle Eastern marketplace. The journey begins when visitors navigate their way through a discrete alleyway between a heritage church and presbytery building; the restaurant owner said it transports patrons to his hometown of Jerusalem.

All senses are immediately engaged; a unique playlist was created by a DJ from Tel-Aviv, you can immediately smell the charred meats and vegetables on the grill, and of course the visual impact of the 10 meter high atrium is an unexpected surprise after passing through the narrow entryway. Shaffa has been configured to accommodate for the restaurant’s unique way of cooking. Their kitchen isn’t just where the food is prepared but used as a stage to showcase the chefs’ skills. Patrons are invited to dine at the kitchen bar and look-in on the action in the kitchen. There is also a separate bar knows as the former ‘apple tree inn’ built in the 1800s. All walls are lined with heritage sandstone, and the bar is adorned with antique mirror, aged brass and a rich green marble.