ITOP by Inalco on TAST, the Paco Pérez' restaurant in Manchester

On July 20th of 2018 a new restaurant opened its doors in Manchester, owned by Paco Pérez, the well-known Catalan chef with seven restaurants currently in operation with 5-Michelin-stars in total. The  Tast restaurant, designed by the Barcelona-based studio Nordicthink using materials by Inalco to spectacular effect.

Right from the beginning, the general goal was to convey an image based on colours and materials typical of Catalonia’s landscape. In Nordicthink’s own words, “It was quite a complex challenge to link up this three-storey space with its three different culinary experiences by Paco Pérez, given the design of the building and because we planned to work with ideas and materials seldom or never found in Manchester.”

The final outcome is a three-storey building where you can see a gradual variation in its landscape-inspired colours as you go up from one floor to the next. A contemporary twist has been given to combinations of materials like linen, Inalco porcelain tiles and traditional cement tiles to fit in with the restaurant’s star feature: its cuisine. “That was our goal, for the décor to marry well with the star attraction of this superb restaurant.”

The ground floor features the restaurant’s most laid-backarea (PINYA), with a big bar for drinks and snacks clad in tiles from the ITOP Touché collection.

If you go up to the main floor, you reach the very heart of the restaurant (FOLRE), with a dining room specializing in traditional cuisine. Here you can watch Paco Pérez’s team as they cook in an open kitchen featuring a series of spectacular countertops clad in tiles from the ITOP Pacific collection. The design of the tables will make you feel right at home, although the mix of different materials (Foster Camel floor tiles by Inalco, wood planks on the walls and ceiling, chairs upholstered in velvet and a big wrought iron window) is conceived to offer a perfect blend of haute cuisine and design appeal, as explained by Nordicthink: “We wanted to convey a revamped updated notion of tradition through the choice of materials and design ideas.”

Lastly, the third floor (ENXANETA), featuring tiles from the ITOP Pacific collection by Inalco, is reserved for private diners, with an exclusive menu by Paco Pérez designed to take diners on a culinary adventure that will bring their taste buds zinging to life.

Technical data:

Design studio: Nordicthink, Barcelona

Furnishings, lighting & complements supplied by: Nordicthink, Barcelona

Inalco materials: ITOP Touché, ITOP Pacific Gris, ITOP Pacific Blanco, iSLIMM Foster Camel.  

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom