Comfy bistro chairs by Vico Magistretti

Soft, comfortable, relaxed. These are the adjectives that spring to mind when I look at the Vico Magistretti Bistro Armchair, manufactured by De Padova. The chair’s steel structure is given a softer look via the elastic belting seat with injection molded polyurethane foam. A veneer wenge covers the back seat, which is made from birch plywood. The legs of the chair have satin/aluminum anodised characteristics.

Commercial bistro chairs like this Vico Magistretti armchair fit in well with what restaurant industry pundits call lounge dining, a phenomenon that started in hotel bars. While fine dining establishments still abound, many restaurant owners are opting to go with more relaxed and laid-back albeit still classy atmospheres. Spaces are being given a lounge-like ambiance, with design approaches that are less formal but which can’t be classified in the same casual class as fast food joints or eateries.

What are some of the most prominent characteristics of lounge dining?

• Chairs, ottomans, or couches that are usually armless and with wider than usual seats, or alternatively, the tall-stools-and-tables combination
• Low-key and soothing music, like cool jazz
• Simple food served on smaller plates for easier sharing
• Specialty beverage and food lists

Theme restaurants that have embraced the lounge dining concept are seen as places where customers can just drop in to have something good and quick in multiple courses, yet without having to go through the rigmarole of making reservations and dressing up. Even some high-end restaurants have joined the lounge dining bandwagon by revamping their interiors to cater to the increasing number of consumers who want to still enjoy good food conveniently in a casual yet classy environment, without having to pay fine-dining prices.

It hardly needs to be emphasized how importantly restaurant furniture contribute to an establishment’s appeal and with lounge dining firmly entrenched in today’s restaurant landscape, seating choices such as the Vico Magistretti bistro armchair should be in restaurateurs’ list of design considerations.