venue with glamour

ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE

Mix a passion for the arts with a dash of creative inspiration and you'll discover a melting pot of bold glamour at John and Peter Canteen.

The John and Peter Canteen restaurant at Sydney's CarriageWorks boasts dramatic flair in a crisp and classy black and white palette. Inspired by its creative hub, the restaurant's owners opted for a theatrical approach that sets the scene for a glamorous finale. “I wanted the space to be incredibly comfortable with the rich colours in the food bouncing off the graphic nature of the black and white finish," says co-owner John Wilson.

Paired with the rustic exterior of the former railway workshop, the dining room doesn't take itself too seriously. "We wanted it to be a bit of a folly and a madness, the overhead truss, with the par can and festoon lighting, is a figurative wink to the performance space that we form part of," he adds. With the room's strong sense of arrival, created by designer Iain Halliday, and a unique feeling of stepping out on stage, the intimate banquette seating seems the perfect touch. It's just one of the elements John finds most fascinating about the restaurant as well as its honeyed lighting which, in his own words, is very flattering – making everyone look better under it! 
Photography: Petrina Tinslay