High-End Restaurants: Built-In Banquette Seating That Doesn’t Sacrifice Style

Banquette seating can make commercial spaces feel more expansive. In upscale restaurants, this perceived openness often enhances the ambiance of luxury. No restaurant owner wants to read that patrons find their restaurant “cramped.” The tradeoff is that banquette seating can be imposing if not customized for the individual restaurant.

The association with “diner seating” may deter owners and designers tasked with elevating high-end dining venues. However, banquette seating provides a customizable modern twist on upscale restaurant design that allows owners to bring their ideal customer experience to life.

This article discusses custom banquette millwork seating in a contemporary, high-end restaurant setting. It offers ideas for using banquettes to add functionality, elegance, and comfort without sacrificing the restaurant’s distinct style.

What is the Difference Between Bench and Banquette Seating?

Bench seating is often confused with banquette seating, which is less frequently used in a fine dining context. Benches are freestanding pieces that provide a singular seating surface. They are usually used outdoors or in restaurants with a country or family vibe.

By contrast, banquette seats can be freestanding, modular, or built into the space. They can be designed as booths, singular seats, or built into the architecture. This can be useful for restaurant waiting areas. High-end dining spaces have now embraced banquettes as a seating style of choice, provided they are customized to suit the intended atmosphere.

How do Banquette Seats Fit Into Modern High-End Restaurants?

Banquette seating is often associated with booths or benches in diners. However, the versatility of banquette seating design has grown in complexity over the years, opening the door for high-end restaurant owners and designers to take advantage of this convenient seating option.

When properly integrated, banquette seating can now bring its core benefits to high-end venues, including:

• Modulating between spacious and intimate settings
• Saving space with hidden storage compartments
• Directing customer flow with built-in traffic lanes
• Integrating lighting to create distinct focal points
• Controlling the flow of noise throughout the main dining area

These benefits can contribute to a more high-end and immersive dining experience. However, material and design choices matter when matching the seating arrangement to the intended mood.

Strategy #1: Choose Materials That Bring Your Atmosphere to Life

Custom banquette seats should complement decor, architecture, and the intended mood through colors, materials, and finishes.

• The height and depth of the banquettes should match the room, paying attention to the ergonomic experience that can support extended sitting in a high-end dining scenario.
• The upholstery should be durable to support seat traffic, but high-end restaurants often call for luxury. To avoid diner-style banquettes that prioritize durability above aesthetics, a high-end venue calls for high-end designs.
• This starts with the exemplary millwork, which, depending on the wood grain and finish, can bring rustic charm or modern flair.
• Colors should be chosen to create cohesion with the brand’s identity, which could be ornate or minimalistic.
• Upholstery materials can afford to be more luxurious to match the atmosphere.

Bespoke banquettes can bring cohesive, high-end style, with designs that match the owner’s vision for their ideal customer experience.

Strategy #2: Storage Options Create a More Immersive Environment

Built-in banquette seating can conceal storage compartments for extra linens, flatware, and other supplies. Though customers won’t interact with hidden storage, staff can use the extra space to declutter the restaurant while keeping amenities within reach. Under-seat compartments keep service flowing without relying on additional storage fixtures.

Strategy #3: Use Shape and Design to Influence Traffic Flow

High-end restaurants aim to provide a smooth experience, including a dining area free of congestion. Banquette seating that promotes flow is created with rounded edges and modular designs that can be changed to suit different crowds or atmospheres. Corner banquettes can build intimacy, while bench-style banquettes can accommodate larger parties while saving valuable floor space.

Strategy #4: Use High-Back Booths to Control the Audio Atmosphere

Built-in banquettes can give designers control over the audio atmosphere. Acoustic paneling can contain sound at tables for a more intimate experience. Experienced custom millwork artisans can integrate upholstery into the wood frame of the banquette seats to absorb sound while maintaining a graceful silhouette, which is ideal for high-end dining.

Need More Custom Banquette Millwork Design Ideas for Modern Restaurants?

Modern high-end dining strives for a clean, consistent experience, communicating a brand’s distinct identity while offering highly functional seating designs. The choice of seating can determine the venue’s mood, function, and immersion by creating an impression through its materials, controlling sound with cleverly designed paneling, or rearranging the floor space with modular styles.

At Sixth Avenue Custom, our custom banquette millwork artisans create bespoke banquette designs for each restaurant’s intended experience. Built-in banquettes can provide an immersive experience while preserving traffic flow, even in tight floor plans. In high-end dining, or any restaurant, style should never come at the cost of functionality.

Contact us today to learn how built-in banquettes can be customized for the needs of your high-end restaurant without compromising your vision for the look and feel of your ideal dining experience.