Gato, New York by David Rockwell

David Rockwell has designed the interiors, lighting, furniture and fixtures for Gato, a new bar and restaurant in Manhattan by chef Bobby Flay.

The Perfectionist’s Café by Heston Blumenthal opens at Heathrow

Heston Blumenthal's new restaurant, The Perfectionist’s Café, has opened this week in Heathrow's redeveloped Terminal 2. Designed by AfroditiKrassa, the interior takes inspiration from the golden era of travel, chiming with the 1960s and 1970s influences of Blumenthal's menu.

FR\AME: America's West Coast in Paris

A new brasserie in Paris combines fresh Californian flavours with a subtle French twist, a view of the Eiffel Tower and interiors designed by Christophe Pillet, who has drawn on natural and tactile materials including wood, marble and leather.

Silence & Mindfulness dinner in Paris

French entrepreneur Coco Brac de la Perrière has been organising Silence & Mindfulness dinners for over a year, but while these confidential affaires have so far been reserved to influent French personalities, she is now making her concept available to the general public. On 30th June, guests will be able to buy tickets for a one-off dinner at the Electric, accepting to embrace conscious silence, in order to reconnect with others and with themselves. 

The idea behind these dinners is to simply pay attention to the experience one is taking part in, without judgement and without pernicious distraction. While the marriage of silence and food may appear contradictory in an epicurean country such as France, these events allow their attendees to focus on the moment more entirely. An opera singer and other interludes of poetic emotion will punctuate the evening. 

World's 50 Best Restaurants 2014: winners announced

Noma

The World 50's Best Restaurants announced its 2014 winners last night, with Copenhagen-based Noma returning to the top spot.

Parachuting food by Jafflechutes

Melbourne-based food pop up Jafflechutes delivers its grilled cheese sandwiches to customers by attaching them to parachutes and dropping them out of the window of its fifth floor location.

Touchscreen dining: Pizza Hut showcases concept interactive table

Pizza Hut has released a video of a concept touchscreen table that is activated by diners' smartphones and guides them through building and ordering their own custom pizza. Made in collaboration with Chaotic Moon Studios, the concept also includes integrated payment and a timer that keeps track of the pizza on its way to the table.

The video follows other recent touchscreen innovations such as the Displair, which allows users to swipe through menus in mid-air.

And The Friet: Tokyo's potato cafe

Hiroo store And The Friet offers fries made from six different varieties of potato including rare Bintje potatoes imported from Belgium and Satsuma potatoes from Okinawa. There are also six cuts - straight, wedge, curly, half, crispy or hash out - and more than 10 choices of seasonal dips and sauce.

For more on this idea, Homebuildlife subscribers can read our trend report on mono dining and focused food retail, Pure Produce.

Nahm tops Asia's 50 Best Restaurants

A restaurant in Bangkok that serves dishes sourced from Thai memorial books has topped S. Pellegrino's list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. Headed by Australian chef David Thompson, Nahm has moved up from second place last year, replacing Tokyo's Les Creations de Narisawa in the top spot.

See the full list here.

Upcycle: bicycle & food culture in Milan

Housed in an abandoned garage, new Milan hotspot Upcycle is a cafe and restaurant dedicated to bicycle culture. Customers can repair their bike while relaxing with a meal: the Northern European-inspired menu changes daily, normally with one main meat dish as well as a selection of quiches, salads and soups.

Homebuildlife subscribers can read more about the trend towards combining cafes and stores with recreational spaces in our Retail report, Store Experience.

Eclectic restaurant: 70s chic by Tom Dixon

Eclectic by Tom Dixon - Photo by Thomas Duval

The new Eclectic restaurant by Tom Dixon opened its doors in Paris this month. Fabienne and Philippe Amzalak, the duo behind many great names of Parisian restoration including Le bon and Ma Cocotte, asked the designer's Design Research Studio to create cosy and vibrant interiors. Eclectic thus mixes British eccentricity with Parisian chic in a tribute to the exuberant 1970s. Concrete and gold brass are warmed up with thick rugs, and the huge central chandelier dominates the room with its 124 metallic shades.

Mark's Bar by Lee Broom for Selfridges

Lee Broom has designed a new bar for Selfridges to celebrate the first anniversary of the department store's Men's Shoe Galleries. Called Mark's Bar and operated by British chef and restaurateur Mark Hix, the space features bespoke furniture by Broom that transforms from a lounge collection into a fully functioning mobile bar.

Milano 1909: temporary Members Club by Chivas Regal

Milano 1909 is an exclusive old-fashioned whisky club for modern gentlemen, a temporary members-only circle that Chivas Regal is running in Milan's Via Tortona until December 5th.

Dry: cocktails and pizza in Milan

Following the success of their restaurant Pisacco, chef Andrea Berton, architect Tiziano Vudafieri, lawyer and sommelier Diego Rigatti, and entrepreneur Giovanni Fiorin have launched Dry, a new cocktail bar and gourmet pizzeria in Milan.

Deus Ex Machina: motorbikes & coffee in Milan

Recently opened motorcycle shop/cafe/bar/barbershop Deus Ex Machina is located in Milan's up-and-coming Isola neighbourhood. Hip motorbikes, fixed-gear bikes and surfboards are displayed in the industrial space, mismatched reclaimed furniture, freshly brewed coffee and a relaxed atmosphere guarantee the cafe-bar is packed throughout the day.

Subscribers can see our latest picks from Milan's cultural scene here, and read about other stores designed for the Millennial generation here.

SML Restaurant, Hong Kong

At Italian concept restaurant SML in Hong Kong, customers can order every dish on the menu, as well as the wine, in three portion sizes: small, medium and large.

Homebuildlife subscribers can read fashion photographer Ricky Lo's inside guide to more of the city's hotspots here.

The world's first ever WikiBar opens in Paris

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has designed the interior of the first ever WikiBar, in Paris. On the menu is a range of innovative food and drink under the name of WikiCells, for the French natives, or WikiPearls for the English speakers.

Created by Harvard professor David Edwards and French designer François Azambourg in 2012, these Wiki Foods mimic the natural principle of grapes: a sphere of food protected by an edible coating. The idea behind the project is to offer ecologically responsible nourishment that will reduce the pollution directly linked to packaging.

Miss Ko: An entrancing spectacle by Philippe Starck

In the heart of the tranquil and conservative 8th arrondissement of Paris, on the famously chic Avenue George V, French restaurateur and designer Claude Louzon and Philippe Starck have opened a rebellious and fantastical new canteen. In Philippe Starck's own words, "Miss Ko is a kind of madness that should be a lot of fun, especially in an area that really isn't."

Le Coq: London mixology in Paris

London's famous mixologist Tony Conigliaro - owner of cocktail hotspots 69 Colebrooke Row and the Zetter Townhouse - has expanded across the pond to open Le Coq, in collaboration with Eric Fossard and Thierry Daniel. Located in the 10th arrondissement, the bar blends the best of French 1970s glamour with the best of the '70s New York underground music scene. The interior conjures images of Grace Jones, Marianne Faithfull and Serge Gainsbourg all sipping on a Fig Leaf Collins.

Subscribers can click here to see the other places to be in Paris this season.