Four bespoke banquette seats for one of London's most storied dining rooms
The Dorchester has occupied Park Lane since 1931. The Grill at The Dorchester is the hotel's principal dining room, and when Moinard Bétaille led its most recent design refresh, we were commissioned to produce four bespoke banquette seats to the studio's specification. The brief was to fabricate pieces that would realise the design intent precisely — not interpret it, realise it.
The frame was finished in satin black lacquer throughout. The back panel of each seat carries a Dutch gold motif, hand-applied — warm metal against a cool dark ground. The seat and inner back are upholstered in Altfield's 'Richmond' leather in Shiraz; the outer backrest in Rubelli's 'Ruskin' damask in Sabbia. The material combination was specified by Moinard Bétaille; our work was to execute it to the standard the room demands.
Working in a five-star hotel requires operational precision as much as craft precision. The four banquettes were delivered and installed in the early hours before service — positioned, levelled and polished in place — so the dining room opened without interruption.
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Realising Moinard Bétaille's design
The brief from Moinard Bétaille called for banquette seats that would integrate seamlessly with the room's redesigned interior, a space that already carried the weight of nearly a century of fine dining. This involved careful material selection, construction methodology, polishing details, and upholstery work so that the final pieces not only reflect the designer's intention but also meet functional demands of service and longevity. The pieces needed to read as considered and permanent from every angle, requiring meticulous attention to the polishing and joinery details that are only visible up close.
The lacquer frame was finished to a consistent satin black throughout, providing the necessary visual containment for the gilded motif panels at the backrest. Structurally, the seats were engineered for the sustained demands of a busy restaurant, comfort and durability carrying equal weight in the brief. The Grill's refreshed interior maintains its grandeur while introducing moments of renewal: a custom rug, decorative lighting enhancements, and our bespoke banquettes are all part of this subtle but powerful evolution.
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Material texture in a gilded room
The Dutch gold motif on the back panels references the gilding tradition without overstating it. Set against the satin black lacquer of the frame, the relationship between the two finishes is one of restraint: warm metal against a cool dark ground. The motif is hand-applied, which means each panel has the character of a made object rather than a manufactured surface.
Altfield's 'Richmond' leather in Shiraz covers the seat and inner back, its deep red tone placing the piece within the room's broader palette. Rubelli's 'Ruskin' damask in Sabbia covers the outer backrests — a textured woven fabric with its own quiet pattern that reads differently depending on angle and light. The two materials work as a counterpoint: leather for contact surfaces, damask for the planes that are seen but not sat on.
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Materials & finishes
Installed before first service
Installation at a hotel of The Dorchester's standing requires working within strict operational windows. The four banquette seats were delivered and installed in the early hours, before the dining room opened for service, positioned, levelled, and polished in place without disruption to the day's operations. The delivery was seamless; the craftsmanship was visible, yet the execution carefully controlled so the dining experience remained uninterrupted.
The result sits exactly as Moinard Bétaille designed it: the gilded motif at the back, the damask and leather forming the room's material register, and the lacquered frame carrying the whole structure quietly, without competing for attention in an already richly layered interior. The design works in concert with what happens around it: the flicker of candlelight on lacquer, the glow from chandeliers, the hum of jazz in the air, and the creativity of the culinary team.