photo: Douglas Lye Thompson
THERE'S SO MUCH PLANT ACTION HERE a greenhouse WOULD BE JEALOUS.
Enter Llama Inn, a charming Peruvian outpost in Brooklyn, and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
photos: Douglas Lye Thompson
It's not very often one of my favorite restaurants is also my source for botanical design ideas. But Llama Inn's interior screams urban Andean hacienda by way of hip Williamsburg and I like it. A lot.
Brooklyn based design studio JFD Studios spearheaded the project and commissioned designer/gardener Karl Friedrich to turn this corner hideaway with a less than ideal location into a Peruvian escape brimming with lush plantings and a botanical rooftop. I noticed strategically placed snake plants becoming nooks of privacy and an array of exotic tropicals framing the restaurant perimeter and was transported to a secret spot of botanical delight.
photo: Erik Medsker
Then I cruised upstairs. It's impossible to see how the beautiful rooftop bar was once the biggest design challenge. The roof's location next to the bustling expressway could have been a deal breaker, but the design team reached for inspiration from Peru's rich heritage and used plants as the key decorative element to combat this dilema. Edible flowers and Peruvian mint huacatay were included in the plant selection so Chef Erik Ramirez could use them in his kitchen, creating both an aesthetically pleasing and functional outdoor hot spot known as El Techo.
photo: Erik Medsker
I've never been to Peru but I hope it feels like this place- a dreamer's green paradise. As the countdown to summer's end begins, you'll find me with a Pisco Sour upstairs at El Techo or scarfing ceviche downstairs at Llama Inn surrounded by plants, plants, and more plants. #itsplantporn
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