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The Ottoman Room might not be easily located from the street front along Peck Seah Street, but that just adds to its exotic allure. Hidden behind and accessible only through Fat Prince cafe and bar, a dramatic ambiance abounds as soon as one steps over the threshold and through the arched black and gold passageway separating the spaces.
Illuminated by the warm glow of candlelight, the modern Middle Eastern restaurant exudes a luxurious yet laid-back look and feel. Dine under a canopy of flickering flames from the suspended oil lanterns (39 in total) that were specially designed for the place, a design detail that’s never been seen in the local restaurant scene. Along the walls, brass sconces with cut-out patterns containing more candles cast interesting shadows on the hand-painted plaster walls. The aged treatment on the surfaces, featuring a delicate filigree motif, evokes a time-weather look and adds to the lived-in opulence of the interiors.
The Ottoman Room is designed by Michael Goodman of EDG Interior Architecture + Design, who is also partner of the restaurant group behind the concept. According to Michael, the vision for the establishment was derived from his dining experience in a beautiful candlelit courtyard of an old villa in Marrakech, Morocco that Michael had.
“There, I felt like royalty, but it wasn’t pretentious, and instead cool and casual,” he says. To embody the opulence of the Ottoman Empire, but with the warmth of a buzzing social gathering place, the designer furnished the restaurant with custom-made chesterfield sofas, armchairs upholstered in jewel-tone fabrics, mismatched Middle Eastern printed fabric throw cushions, heavy drapes in a rich burgundy hue and Turkish rugs. The 13 unique rugs, along with colourful bowls used as washbasins in the two powder rooms, as well as tableware, were handpicked in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar and shipped back, Michael tells. While the furniture is kept low-slung and loungey, checkerboard panels overhead lower the ceiling level for a more intimate, cosy feel.
The nosh is equally tantalising. Take your pick from unlimited mezze (small plates) served from a trolley, to go with a choice of a meat or fish main dish, as well as two other options from the “Earth” selection of the menu. Open only for dinner, it makes for a great spot for both group catchups and intimate meals to spend the evening at.
The Ottoman Room is at 48 Peck Seah Street, tel: 6221-3683