Perch Wine and Coffee Bar in Delhi’s Khan Market looks like, smells as, serves up, and is endlessly inspired by, everything natural. Go expecting fresh aromatic interiors dotted with plants, and a great experience in de-stress.
Perch Wine and Coffee Bar was envisaged as an oasis of delectable tranquillity amidst the bustle of Delhi\'s iconic Khan Market. Conceived around a large and well-curated selection of both eponymous beverages, its culinary offerings emphasise clean flavours, simple techniques and seasonal freshness. Meant to be both a place for idyllic repose as well as one of quick replenishment, the all-day bar makes room for solitude as well as social conviviality. The lower floor has high-stool seating along shared ledge counters and a communal log table arranged for views of the tree-lined store-fronts below, to encourage the odd conversation between strangers. The upper floor is populated with couches and wide dining chairs for more intimate dining. Perch\'s design attempts to create an environment that revives various affinities: between taste and fragrance, craft and nature, and amongst people.
The premises were previously occupied by an Indian cuisine restaurant, and featured tinted windows, mirror-panelled walls and a heavily corniced wooden false ceiling. The renovation focused on simple articulations and frugal detailing in a minimal, rustic palette of materials and finishes to create a clean and fresh canvas. The first move was to de-clutter and flood the spaces with natural light. The panelling was stripped and re-used, the windows de-tinted and a skylight was introduced above the stairwell.
The light is amplified by the whitewashed walls, while light woods lend warmth to the interiors. The design further reinforces its sensitivity to nature and its commitment to the environment through the scrupulous re-use and upcycling of wood and steel, both from the previous restaurant’s interiors as well as from industrial packaging waste. The staircase was fashioned with steel girders that were removed from the ceiling to create the skylight. The staircase treads and the seating are made of jamun (Java Plum) and keekar (Indian Gum Arabic) respectively, both species native to Delhi.
The front door, retro-fitted with planters holding vines, angiosperms and succulents, greets all visitors. Behind it, a narrow flight of wooden treads ascends away from the busy central lane of the market. A large ficus tree has been nurtured in the stairwell, underscoring the significance of the living world in Perch\'s culinary philosophy. “One enters the upper floor from under the cover of its canopy,” states the team.
On the upper floor, French windows part completely to throw open the terrace to the often inclement weather. Terrariums, potted herbs, flower and fruit-bearing plants dot the tables, nooks and crannies, diffusing vegetation, aroma and colour throughout the premises.
