Amsterdam-based restaurant Mediamatic ETEN is at the forefront of creating innovative designs to help food lovers adapt to social distancing regulations, which is evident in their recently installed waterfront greenhouses. Five of these quaint greenhouses line the Oosterdok River as it runs through Amsterdam. They are an experimental solution to the issue surrounding social distancing and sit-down dining. The restaurant's website explains that it chosen to name their artistic take on outdoor seating “Serres Séparées“—French for “separated greenhouses.” Photographs taken on the restaurant’s first test run on May 5 show how these spaces let you take in the openness of the landscape without fear.
“We want people to still feel safe to eat together and share a meal,” Mediamatic ETEN's Chef Giulia Soldati told BBC news. “All the spaces are separated but people can still share the space and share food together. We will be outside so it’s going to be safe. We are going to wear gloves and a protection mask.”
The hospitality industry was one of the business sectors hardest hit by the effects of coronavirus and social distancing. There continues to be debate over how dining rooms can be converted to abide by social distancing mandates; and yet, the leaders of these local businesses are not losing hope. “It’s actually a challenge to redesign hospitality,” Soldati explains, and restaurants like hers are stepping up to the obstacles put in their way by using ingenious methods. For instance, this greenhouse seating lets diners eat safely outside without the usual fears of rain ruining your food or birds swooping in to steal your last bite.
Since Dutch restaurants are going to be allowed to reopen starting June 1, the beloved Mediamatic ETEN is preparing to bring its vegan cuisine to patrons around the city. Since there are only five greenhouses available for reservation, the wait list to experience the four-course meals that complete your riverside stay is already booked well into June. If you're interested in setting up a night out months in advance, you can reserve one of these greenhouses on the restaurant's website.
Medimatic ETEN's greenhouse seating gives you a unique view of the Oosterdok River while social distancing from other diners.
In order to keep both patrons and servers safe, the Dutch restaurant has started serving dishes on wood boards—a skill that their servers have quickly mastered.
Mediamatic ETEN: Website | Instagram
h/t: [designboom]
All images via Mediamatic ETEN.
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