Alex Zabotto-Bentley of AZBcreative spent six months planning and designing the MasterChef Dining & Bar concept that opens in Sydney today.

“This year will see more access for a wider audience of guests, with a larger dining space and a public bar which can cater for up to 150 guests,” Alex Zabotto-Bentley told SPICE.

The space had to be highly functional for the chefs

“Following last year’s success, it was important for the AZBcreative team to raise the bar with an even grander interior space to entertain more people particularly since we are located in such iconic spaces with huge visibility. We want to transport our guests to a MasterChef space, while giving them a collection of premium dining spaces where they can enjoy the high calibre of food on offer.”

The fit-out is highly technical and yet looks beautiful

Decorating alone took three days

“The inspiration was drawn from my love of large Victorian pavilions, big Italian dining halls of old and of course my absolute love of the detail. We wanted this pop-up space to have beautiful details that would only ever be seen in permanent structures like carrara marble, Italian tiling, wood panelled rooms, antique baker’s lights and our custom-designed geometric floor panelling. I wanted a feeling of permanence within the
space.

“The most confronting challenge was making sure everything was coordinated perfectly with the installation. We had over 100 lights and light fittings that all needed to be installed, hung and adjusted within ‘cubedeliers’ or clustered. Everything has to stop when your dealing with incredibly fragile vintage light fittings,” said Zabotto-Bentley.

This herb wall is functional and aesthetically pleasing