Energised by a rise of enthusiasm for Mexican cuisine, the design team were keen to avoid presenting the restaurant in a stereotypical fashion, instead choosing to present a softer take on experiential dining. They worked with Nature Squared, to create the fine, hand-cracked Eggshell Snakeskin finish that now make up the restaurant’s table tops. 

Eggshell Snakeskin is one of Nature Squared’s more striking finishes. As the name implies, this finish has an incredible, snakeskin-like effect but is made up entirely out of eggshell. It is endlessly intricate and mesmerising to look at.

Eggshell Snakeskin draws on Asia’s rich ornamental tradition, where eggshell has long been used for decorative purposes.

The shells are toasted in a coal-fired oven, then the inner membrane is removed in a delicate and time-consuming process. Once inlaid, a thin layer of resin is applied on top and very carefully sanded and polished for the final effect. The coloured resin stays in the wells and dips of the shell’s natural contours, giving it the distinctive snakeskin like pattern.  We have retained the essence of the historic process, while improving the resins to ensure it is suitable for restaurant use.