Sosharu is the seventh London restaurant launched by The Social Company. We combined Jason Atherton’s social dining theme, which runs throughout his global restaurants with contemporary elements of London and Tokyo. The creative challenge is how to translate this ‘conceptual thinking’ into ‘visual meaning’.
Unlike the intimate and calm Minka setting of the restaurant above, the 7 Tales basement bar captures the buzz and debauchery of Tokyo’s subculture.
Location | London, Shanghai
Client | Jason Atherton
Sector | Hospitality
We created a brand identity that renders the restaurant’s refined take on izakaya at every touchpoint within this dynamic project. Japan has a rich visual culture, so we tried to immerse ourselves as deeply as possible. The visual concept is a crystalised and diluted cultural representation of that. From the moment guests sit down at Sosharu, we wanted them to feel like they were being transported to Japan. This is done through the smallest details and visual elements; textures of paper, the metals used for signage, artworks, menu style and typography. We wanted diners to walk away talking about their unique experience at Sosharu.
The concept was to create a playful night-time street atmosphere in Tokyo. 7 Tales allowed us room for interpretation, introducing a form of humour, but essentially creating something unique, functional with a great aesthetic. Using neon signs, a vending machine with tailor-made coins, and walls plastered with bespoke wallpaper, we created an urban Japanese atmosphere that explores the notion of wabi-sabi – the art of finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence. With the cocktail menu illustrating the tales of the 7 Japanese warriors, amidst retro R&B music wafting through the air, customers are immersed in a storytelling experience as soon as they step into this timeless space.
“Pull back the slitted curtain – or ‘noren’ to Japanophiles – in the basement of Jason Atherton’s Sosharu restaurant, you’ll find 7 Tales: an achingly cool cocktail bar that’s a homage to Tokyo. The walls covered with black-and-white images of the city’s street signage, and the glow from a cheeky neon sign that says ‘drink sake stay soba’ warms the room as well as setting the playful tone.”