The Grand Cafe

The brief for the Grand Café was for an elegant, theatrical, welcoming, fresh, flexible and functional restaurant. The third stage of a five stage refurbishment, the Grand Café is a key element in positioning Christchurch Casino as an entertainment destination.

Guests are welcomed to The Grand Café by a warm glowing timber panelled wall and long marble counter that handles day to day transactions, and transforms into a pre-dinner champagne bar for large events. High level white lacquer and bevelled mirror panels visually connect The Grand Café to the Main Gaming Hall while refracting natural light from the existing double height windows. Timber veneer panels at low level creates a more human scale in the double height space delivering an ambience suitable for both daytime use as well as evening dining and entertainment.

The bespoke carpet pattern references the playing card façade with scatters of large, abstract ‘flowers’ composed of diamonds, clubs, hearts and spades in vivid green and electric blue. Bespoke furniture finishes the space in rich dark stained solid oak and vibrant green leather.

Hovering in the double height space is a large ‘paper’ chandelier which perfectly captures the heart of the interior design - dramatic, elegant and playful.