The Istanbul Butcher, Istanbul

Outfitted by restaurant and bar group Dreamtime Australia Design, The Istanbul Butcher is reimagining the traditional butcher shop setting. Its aim? To redefine the category across Europe and Asia, creating a distinct, interactive retail experience informed by hospitality contexts.

The store does away with the notion of ‘back of house’, foregrounding work and storage areas in exquisite fashion.

Restaurant and bar group Dreamtime Australia has crafted a top-shelf butcher shop setting reminiscent of their hospitality designs.

The result highlights both the quality of the cuts on display, as well as the expertise and precision involved in preparation. The resulting aesthetic is more jewellery store than butcher shop.

Its aspirations are evident before you so much as enter. Hand-carved Venetian travertine cladding and custom copper fretwork form a distinctive exterior. Floor-to-ceiling windows and impeccable lighting deliver unimpeded interior views, intriguing passersby.

The shop’s feature glass-walled coolroom is fully in view from outside, with cuts of meat hanging from a custom two-tiered copper chain rack. Also visible is the fourth wall of the coolroom, fashioned from onyx and designed to resemble smouldering embers.

Customers are welcomed into a spacious interior featuring rich timber wall paneling and hand-cut marble tiling. A 5m timber beam ceiling complements the copper of the refrigerated display case, which are populated with high quality cuts.

Concierge-style staff assist customers while also acting as personal cashiers, while house butchers work on a butcher block ‘stage’ reminiscent of a sushi bar. A deli counter and a top quality wine wall round out the offerings.