Hikari Yakitori Bar by Masquespacio

The latest project by multidisciplinary studio Masquespacio is their second Japanese restaurant, designed for the same client as the first. Hikari Yakitori Bar brings a piece of Tokyo to Valencia, a visual getaway as much as a culinary excursion.


Masquespacio, the creative consultancy of Ana Milena Hernández Palacios and Christophe Penasse designed Nozomi Sushi Bar of José Miguel and Nuria in 2014. A huge success not only due to its captivating design but also because it takes you to the world of Kyoto with wood and floral patterns referencing the famous cherries, but also the cuisine, and bookings to dine here are backed up for two months.
The answer? Build a second Japanese restaurant, in the same district in Valencia, but this time Masquespacio went with the Tokyo nightlife, the famous Yakitori Bars where you eat grilled food, while not neglecting the visual identity coined for the Nozomi.
As the designers explain “The reinterpretation of the Kabukicho, Omoide Yokocho y Hajimeya alleys is done through a monochrome colour scheme represented by grey and rusty finishes, as well as a touch of wood that adds warmth to the overall concept”. 
So Ana Milena Hernández Palacios and Christophe Penasse skilfully - and with a fusion of noble and industrial materials - accompany guests from the entrance along a tunnel, where you already get the feel of suffused lighting and the flames of the grill in the kitchen, towards the dining room.
This interior, where the designers have focused on everything down to the finest details makes eating at the Hikari Yakitori Bar not just a culinary experience but a close meeting with particular places in Tokyo. From the corrugated iron roof of the tunnel to the light sculptures as a metaphor for the famous neon signs, a Japanese microcosm has been created and makes you forget you're actually right in the historical centre of Valencia!

Christiane Bürklein

Client: Hikari (https://www.facebook.com/hikariyakitoribar/)
Address: Calle dels Tomasos 18, 46006 Valencia
Design: Masquespacio 
Art Director/Designer: Ana Hernández
Architect: Paula Pina
Architect junior: Jessica Alejos
Technical investigation: José Espejo
Graphic Design: Ana García  
Anno: 2017
Photography: Luis Beltran www.luisbeltran.eu