Peter Munnoch on perfecting the Splintr aesthetic: ‘A lot of work goes into a sleek, simple, minimalist look’
Splintr have a track record of reshaping hospitality spaces. Suzy Pope feels a sense of calm as she surveys their latest restaurant rebuild
The moment you step inside Nishiki, you know this is a Splintr space. Across Scotland’s hospitality scene, plastic flower arches have started to gather dust while tartan touches scream the 90s; Splintr’s interiors, though, have a knack for feeling timeless. No small feat in an industry always looking for the next big thing. ‘Splintr has been in business since 2014,’ says designer Peter Munnoch. ‘We don’t take domestic projects. Everything we do is for hospitality or retail; places where people work and places that cater to the public.’
Over the past decade, Splintr have built an undeniably impressive portfolio: from a former warehouse turned trendy pizza parlour, to a general store transformed into a fine-dining restaurant, via work on Scotland’s tallest whisky distillery. Crucially, Splintr’s projects aim to have longevity: few of their clients have closed their doors. Munnoch puts this down to a ‘less is more’ mentality; when it comes to restaurants, minimalism, clean lines and open space will always be on trend.
Their latest project, Nishiki on Edinburgh’s Morrison Street, shows off this signature restraint. ‘Ironically, a lot of work goes into a sleek, simple, minimalist look,’ Munnoch admits. The Japanese restaurant from the Yamato Group feels serene and effortless, with a Kyoto-meets-Scandinavia sensibility that doesn’t stray into pastiche. Pale wood, paper whites and inky blacks create a space so finely balanced it feels almost meditative. There’s not a superfluous detail in sight.
Nishiki is unrecognisable from the dark and fading steakhouse that occupied the building for more than 25 years. ‘We did a lot of design work to hide the inner workings of the space,’ Munnoch says. ‘We wanted it to feel uncluttered, just like the simple izakayas and standing sushi bars you find in Japan.’ That philosophy is central: ‘We’ll always choose simplicity over over-design.’
These days, social media visuals matter nearly as much as flavour and good design can make or break a restaurant. Munnoch believes it’s important to stay fully hands-on, designing and creating bespoke fittings in-house, rather than using a contractor. ‘Our design studio is above the workshop. There’s no middleman and far less room for miscommunication. I can be there while each piece is being made, tweaking the design as furniture and fittings take physical shape.’
At Nishiki, that attention to detail pays off. Clean-lined shelving subtly showcases an impressive sake collection; vast tables are left largely bare save for ceramic chopstick rests and earthenware bowls. A striking array of paper lanterns cast a soft glow over plates of blush-pink sashimi, glossy wakame seaweed salad and golden gyoza. Staff glide from kitchen to table while, behind the long bar, sake is poured into thimble-sized cups.
The building itself wasn’t without challenges. ‘The space had an unconventional shape,’ Munnoch says. ‘There were moments we thought we’d never be allowed to open it up properly.’ Yet where a thick, load-bearing stone wall once separated two rooms, there’s now a dramatic opening framing the communal table like a picture, a bold move that gives the restaurant its sense of flow and no doubt delights the social-media savvy. So, as you cradle a ceramic mug of green tea, pierce a jammy ramen egg with your chopstick and carefully align your bowl of rich kitsune udon for that perfectly composed shot, it’s worth remembering that these simple aesthetics don’t happen by accident. And it’s worth thinking about the work that goes into restaurant spaces long before first orders are taken and the first ‘like’ is sent.
Nishiki, 151–155 Morrison Street, Edinburgh; Splintr.