Bea's of Bloomsberry

London based creative + boutique studio, carbon, have recently completed work on the much anticipated 2nd location of Bea’s of Bloomsbury; an independent boutique cafe specialising in bespoke cakes and high quality food. 

The new location comprises of two floors: a kitchen and serving area on the ground floor, and a mezzanine level with bench and booth seating, offering customers a casual relaxed environment in which to look out through the glazed facade at St Paul’s. 

The design of the restaurant is modern with a twist of Japanese tea house. With much of the food offered at Bea’s being cute and colourful, the design approach went for a dark neutral background. Cupcakes, cakes and quaint objects are displayed in individual glass boxes, showcasing the food as stars of the show.

The upholstery throughout the store compliments the colours of Bea’s food with sprinkles of different coloured cushions contrasting the darker background. 

The lighting is kept ambient with a soft comfortable glow from the ceramic teapot lights suspended at various heights, adding a layer of fun and elegance to the scheme. At night, the display boxes and teapot lights output a welcoming glow that puts a smile across the faces of people passing by.

After a brief spell studying law at Cornell University Americanborn Bea Vo realised that food was her passion and set about studying at Le Cordon Bleu and then working in London’s finest restaurants including Nobu. In 2007, she took that passion one step further, and opened her first cafe on Theobald’s Road in Bloomsbury. It quickly gained a reputation for fine food served in an informal and relaxed environment, with an emphasis on quality and not hype. In 2010 Bea was invited to open a second location in One New Change and has plans for two more locations in 2011.