The Commune Social

The Commune Social

The Commune Social located at the Design Republic Design Commune is a new tapas restaurant designed by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office of Shanghai. The food concept is a fresh and modern take on Spanish tapas, where the small dishes served are refined interpretations of the tapas genre with an international twist.

The design concept of the space is to emphasize the “sharing” idea of eating tapas, and the four distinct areas in the restaurant (tapas bar, dining room, dessert bar, and the secret bar) are meant to provide different flavors and ingredients for diners to “share”, like they do the food.

The diners are encouraged to move from having drinks at the Secret Bar to the tapas bar or the dining room for dinner, then end up at the Dessert Bar to finish the meal. Each room serves something different, and each room evokes a different atmosphere.

The four adjoining rooms provide also a communal and social aspect that is in the original spatial concept of the Social restaurant group. (Pollen Street Social in London, and 22 ships in Hong Kong, both designed also by Neri&Hu.) The moving feasting idea is a way for diners to be active in the restaurant, and engage in social activities while dining.

The design approach is similar to 22 Ships in that Neri&Hu emphasized raw materials to accentuate the “freshness” of visual encounter, while making associations to the freshness and rawness of food. Materials such as raw iron, reclaimed wood, unfinished concrete, and exposed bricks all work together to form a tapestry of texture and patterns.

While all other spaces take on a rustic industrial rawness, the dessert bar juxtaposes its clinical whiteness against the others, equipped with a full accoutrement of custom light ensemble that reminds one of the dentist clinic. It is meant to set the dessert served against a clean backdrop, and elevate the position of the dessert to above just the “finishing course”, but an “otherworldly” experience of culinary finesse and ecstasy. Then one is reminded of the price a sweet tooth must pay, thus the reference to a dental clinic.

Gross Area
495 m²

Status
Complete

Completion Date
March 2013

Duration
April 2012 – March 2013

Address
511 Jiangning Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai

2017
Time Out Shanghai Food Awards 2017, Shanghai, ChinaThe Commune Social, Restaurant of the Year, Outstanding
City Weekend Readers' Choice Awards 2017, Shanghai, ChinaThe Commune Social, Restaurant of the Year, Editors' Pick
City Weekend Readers' Choice Awards 2017, Shanghai, China The Commune Social, Outstanding Brunch, Winner
Smilin 2017, by C-trip, China The Commune Social, Best Restaurant, Winner
2016
Time Out Love Shanghai Awards 2016, Time out Shanghai, China The Commune Social, International Restaurant of the Year, Winner
Time Out Love Shanghai Awards 2016, Time out Shanghai The Commune Social, Brunch of the Year, Readers Choice
Time Out Love Shanghai Awards 2016, Time out Shanghai The Commune Social, Kim Melvin: Food Personality of the Year, Readers Choice
The Michelin Guide ShanghaiThe Commune Social, Selected Restaurant
That's Shanghai Food & Drink Award 2016, That's Shanghai The Commune Social, Contemporary Western Restaurant of the Year, Winner
Smilin 2016, by C-trip, ChinaThe Commune Social, Best Restaurant, Winner
Best restaurants 2016, by Tatler Magazine, Shanghai, ChinaThe Commune Social, Winner
City Weekend Readers' Choice Awards 2016, Shanghai, China The Commune Social, Best Mediterranean, Winner
2015
Most Favorited Venue 2015, by BonApp!The Commune Social, Winner
Best Restaurants 2015, by Tatler Magazine, Shanghai, ChinaThe Commune Social, Winner
That’s Shanghai Food and Drink Awards 2015, by That’s Shanghai The Commune Social, Scott Melvin: Best Chef, Winner
Best of Shanghai Awards 2015, by Time Out Shanghai, China The Commune Social, Best International Restaurant, Shortlist
City Weekend Readers' Choice Awards 2015, Shanghai, China The Commune Social, Restaurant of the Year, Editors' Pick
City Weekend Readers' Choice Awards 2015, Shanghai, China The Commune Social, Best Mediterranean, Winner
2014
A&D Trophy Awards 2014, by Perspective Limited, Hong Kong, ChinaThe Commune Social, Best Bar or Restaurant Category, Certificate of Excellence
Restaurant and Bar Design Awards 2014, London, UKThe Commune Social, Asia Restaurant, International, Shortlist
Conde Nast traveler, ShanghaiThe Commune Social, Gold Standard Restaurant, Winner
Best of Shanghai Awards 2014, by Time Out Shanghai, ChinaThe Commune Social, Best Restaurants & Cafes. European category, Winner
City Weekend Readers' Choice Awards 2014, Shanghai, China The Commune Social, Best New Restaurant, Winner
City Weekend Readers' Choice Awards 2014, Shanghai, China The Commune Social, Best Mediterranean, Winner
City Weekend Shanghai, ChinaThe Commune Social, Best-Book: Best Restaurant, Winner
That’s Shanghai Food and Drink Awards 2014, by That’s Shanghai The Commune Social, Best Contemporary Restaurant, Winner
Bravo Award, by TripAdvisor The Commune Social, Winner
2013
Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards 2013, by Hong Kong Interior Design Association, Hong Kong, China The Commune Social, Food Space Category, Gold Prize
Best of Year Awards 2013, by Interior Design Magazine, New York, USA The Commune Social, ‘Project Design’ under Hospitality: Restaurant: Casual Dining Category, Honoree
That’s Shanghai Food and Drink Awards 2013, by That’s Shanghai The Commune Social, Best Restaurant of the Year, Winner
Time Out Shanghai, English Edition The Commune Social, 5/5 stars
Best of Shanghai Awards 2013, by Time Out Shanghai, China The Commune Social, Best burger, Winner