A-nrd brings Mexican warmth and craft to London’s Fonda

Design studio A-nrd has brought a slice of Mexico to London’s Mayfair with the opening of Fonda, a restaurant that celebrates the country’s craftsmanship, colour and culture through a textural and evolving interior. A-nrd’s aim was to “bring to London the colours and cooking of the restaurants, markets and homes that represent Mexico”, creating a space that feels both authentic and contemporary.

GALLERY  

The studio worked closely with renowned Mexican designer Fernando Laposse to curate an ever-changing display of collectible design, transforming the restaurant into a living showroom for Mexican craft.

Rather than replicate familiar aesthetic tropes, A-nrd sought to capture the essence of Mexico through a tactile and layered material palette. Glass, wood, fabric upholstery, rough render and tile work combine to create depth and warmth, while glossy finishes such as glazed tiles and seeded glass introduce lightness and reflection. Soft yellow and pink tones provide a calm backdrop for expressive furniture, ceramics and artwork that define the space.

In Mexico, a fonda is a family-run eatery serving traditional dishes in a relaxed setting, often cooked on a clay comal griddle. At Fonda, a bespoke comal was imported directly from Mexico, surrounded by ceramics crafted by Mexico City-born, London-based ceramicist Lucia Ocejo. Her pendant pieces hang near the comal, drawing inspiration from indigenous homewares and symbolising the transformation of heat, smoke and ash into new art forms.

The kitchen’s creations are presented in custom stoneware by Mexican designers Duplo, featuring a tiered system that keeps tortillas warm in a volcanic stone base with a wooden lid and stackable layers.

Adding a sense of playfulness, a giant pink sloth made from agave sisal fibres by Laposse hangs above the stairwell, while another of his works, a trio of patchwork panels dyed with natural pigments, drifts gently along the feature wall. This translucent installation moves subtly with the air, introducing a sense of dynamism that interacts with the room’s calm yet vivid atmosphere.

Fonda stands as both a restaurant and a tribute to Mexico’s rich design heritage, reinterpreted with London sophistication and a tactile, soulful sensibility.

Images by David Cleveland via Dezeen

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