Cock & Bull Restaurant in Riga | Open Architecture Design

The slow living philosophy has guided everything from interior to menu at the Cock & Bull restaurant in Riga. The restaurant serves pure and uncomplicated dishes from the best available ingredients to encourage awareness of and respect towards our humble roots. Meat is celebrated at the restaurant. Diners get a reminder that eating animals is not unnatural but should be done responsibly. The chefs receive most of their ingredients from local family-run farms and businesses to honour the honest origins of what we eat.

The leather, charred timber, rough wood and metal applied in the design are references to a farm and butcher shop aesthetic. A large Josper grill takes centre stage. Diners can watch their food cook right in front of their eyes. As they eat, they’re in good company. A key feature of the interior is the large scale photographs of the farmers and producers who supply the restaurant. In respect of the slow philosophy, the photographs are a special commission from photographer Maris Locmelis who uses the vintage wet plate technique.

As the interior concept so clearly represented the restaurant’s values and owners’ intentions, it ended up shaping the the backbone of the restaurant’s marketing strategy. With a location in Riga old town the restaurant easily draws tourists but needed to appeal to locals as well.

Cock & Bull took over from another restaurant. Some interior features have been retained or adapted to ensure longevity and responsible reuse. For example, the floors were kept, and the round sofas have been integrated into the new interior through reupholstering.