Silk Bistro

Stepping into SILK Bistro, one can’t shake off the nostalgic feeling that comes from being inside the sunlit, white-walled room. Taking over a heritage building in Menteng—a former general’s residence that’s been left unused since 1995—the space balances modern touches while still honouring the building’s storied past.

“We think the existing design principles of the building were very good. We see great potential in the typology through the layout and scale of space, details, and existing materials. The space is very fluid with good lighting and ventilation, and we wanted to maintain much of the original structure,” shared Chrisye Octaviani, architect and interior designer of the project.

A part of Bitte’s long-time client, BIKO group’s latest venture, SILK Bistro focuses on Asian comfort dishes, drawing influences from Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Indonesian cuisines, with the menu items designed to encourage family-style sharing. To amplify the homey experience, Bitte repurposed much of the old house’s furniture and materials, while adding wooden features in the form of flooring and table chairs to inject warmth into the white-clad space.

Prioritising spatial experience, the rooms are open and flow from one to the other seamlessly. On arrival, visitors are greeted with a foyer and wine cellar on the left side. While to the right is the main dining area, with sunlight streaming in from the windows, generously lighting up the circular booth seatings and communal tables where diners can enjoy the range of Asian fusion dishes on offer.

Further into the room is the red-tiled bar area, which serves classic and signature cocktails that explore Asian ingredients and flavour. To its left, the semi-outdoor seating allows guests to slide the floor-to-ceiling windows open to let the light breeze in through the late afernoon while presenting a full view of the backyard. On the other end of the garden, accessible through a small pathway and pond from the wine cellar, the two 12-seater VIP rooms welcome events and gatherings in a more private set-up.

Maximising as much of the old furniture and materials as possible, Bitte refurbished a few doors, windows and shelves to fit into the new design, while original tiles from the previous home—in warm shades of red, green and yellow—were repurposed for the bar
wall, VIP rooms and toilet area. Additionally, table lamps were sourced from the vintage market in Jl. Surabaya, before customised pedestals and shades were added to match the individual rooms.

So much of the design at SILK Bistro is about creating a cosy dining experience that resembles a visit to a relative’s house, and Bitte executed it in such a manner that strikes the balance between old and new. “We realised that there are many values from past designs that are interesting to learn about and maintain so that the value of a building and its area doesn’t just get replaced with new things,” explained Chrisye.