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No. 19 Café in Ascot Vale by Biasol

No. 19 Café in Ascot Vale by Biasol

Ari Hatzis

Following the success of their first café – St Rose in Essendon – husband-and-wife team Domenic and Diana Caruso asked local studio Biasol to design a new café to pay tribute to the Greek delicatessens that could be found in the city in the 1950s.

Located in a busy shopping strip in Melbourne’s Ascot Vale, the site offered a promising starting point – 4.5-metre ceilings, skylights that flood the space with natural light, and a deep rectangular footprint.

 No. 19 Café in Ascot Vale by Biasol

At the heart of the space, a concrete service counter is accented with beautiful hand-painted green and teal tiles from Morocco that trace along the splashback and wrap around the front of the bar. Warm brass elements – arching custom-designed countertop lamps and a slender foot rail – reinforce the venue’s refined aesthetic. Behind the bar, display shelving made from white tubular steel hosts pockets of greenery from Loose Leaf.

 No. 19 Café in Ascot Vale by Biasol

Timber-topped tables with banquette seating and Pedrali chairs run the length of the space. At intervals, lightweight steel framing with in-built lighting becomes a sculptural element, providing a sense of intimacy without breaking up the café’s openness. Upholstery enhances the pared-back mood of the space – a lush teal for the banquette and a composition of grey, pink and classic houndstooth for the wall-mounted bolster.

Toward the rear of the space, the semi-open kitchen is surrounded by some of the best seats in the house – a concrete bench traces around it, with Afteroom high stools from Menu catching a glimpse of the activity.

 No. 19 Café in Ascot Vale by Biasol

At the front of the café, a custom-designed bench with timber tabletops offers street-side dining. The design team considered the configuration of this seating carefully, to ensure a strong visual connection between diners outside and the energy within. In a similar way, the alcove by the door was tailored to accommodate orders to go.

A key priority in this project was to develop a strong relationship between the interior design and the brand itself. Every element – from the menus and coasters to the deli paper and crockery – has been carefully conceived, reflecting our integrated approach.

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all images © Ari Hatzis

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