Hospitality giants, Buzzworks have now introduced the popular Lido brand, which already has venues in Troon and Prestwick, to the East Coast after opening in Musselburgh last month.
The venue celebrates bold Mediterranean flavours and will be open from breakfast to evening. It even features a state-of-the-art woodfired pizza oven, which Lido has become renowned for, and an open kitchen.
Stephen Buchanan, Buzzworks’ New Openings and Project Operations Manager, shared, “After months of build-up, hard work and preparation, we’re really proud of what we’ve created here at Lido. Everything from our carefully curated menus to our stylish décor and outstanding levels of service are designed to showcase the passion and care that we put into everything we do.”
Upon arrival you are welcomed by the smart Lido branding, outdoor furniture and awning. A modern floral window decal which runs across the full length of the glass doors and floor to ceiling windows is the first thing which catches your eye, as well as their trademark ‘Love Life Love Lido’ neon.
The new Lido has been designed by interior designer Jim Hamilton, who has taken Lido to a whole new level and used a range of influences throughout the design.
He says, “It’s great to see Lido start to travel now as people love the product.
“The unit was previously a retail unit on the High Street and it’s always a nice challenge to work on a space like this and make it fresh and relevant.”
“The Lido design has always been Mediterranean and colourful. In Troon the colour was inspired by beach life and escapism and we wanted to bring that through to Musselburgh as well.”
The Italian word Lido means ‘shore’ or ‘bank’ and is synonymous with fashionable beach resorts, the most famous being near Venice. So, it seems only right that there are nods to Venetian patterns and influences throughout the design from the porcelain patterned tiled floor to the patterns which run through the luxurious furnishings.
There are fluted banquettes lining the window, cosy booth seating, curved booths for bigger parties with stunning bespoke matching chairs, and even leather bar stools.
All this furniture is upholstered in a range of patterns, with textures and bold colours creating a classy, contemporary, comfortable and welcoming feel.
Jim adds, “There was a big box here to play with, so we’ve used textures and strong colour to fill that. It’s so important to be brave and to play with texture, colour and pattern – that’s what we’ve done here. Mediterranean food really appeals to a wide audience, so we wanted to create a design that worked from day to night and was also attractive to all age groups.
“As a designer you need to make sure you tick as many of those boxes as you can such as casual, relaxed, warm, cosy and inviting. It’s also so important to listen to the client as Buzzworks know their audience very well. You just hope the interior adds that extra layer for people.”
As well as the beach and the Mediterranean influences, Lido Musselburgh was also influenced by John Muir ‘Father of the National Parks’. The John Muir Way passes through Musselburgh and company, Art Pistol, who completed the bespoke statement murals, and the window decal were inspired by this.
The result is a contemporary floral design inspired by nature which shy’s away from the obvious route and adds another layer throughout.
Some of the other eye-catching features include low hung large statement lights of varying designs which add even more interest, texture and warmth. There is also a large tree in the centre, along with other foliage, another nod to the Mediterranean and which breaks up the restaurant into cosy little sections.
Jim concludes, “I love the overall mix and palette of the design in this venue. There’s definitely a Mediterranean slant and we’ve kept that idea of comfortable, casual and playful fun. It’s great to see customers arriving now and as well as the high level of service, food and drinks, we hope the design brings a wee smile to peoples faces.”
I have a feeling it certainly will!