Napa Bistro: Napa Wine Country Meets Parisian Charm

FOOD & BEVERAGE · CHARLOTTE

In Charlotte, North Carolina, FictionWorks has transformed an existing restaurant into Napa Bistro, a wine-focused dining space, with architecture by In Situ Studio. Napa farmhouses and Parisian bistros inform the interior: woodwork defines a series of connected dining rooms, with green banquettes and round tables arranged throughout.

From an open hall to connected dining rooms

The restaurant covers approximately 604 square metres. Rather than occupying a single open hall, the seating is now distributed among interconnected rooms. Timber-framed openings offer views into neighbouring areas, while banquette backs separate adjacent tables.

A pale, curved ceiling spans the main dining area, where a row of large pendant lights follows the banquettes. Black-and-white mosaic flooring runs beside the bar, with blue stools lined up along its curved counter. From the nearby round tables, the wine cabinets, bar and seating beyond are visible in succession.

Stained glass and low-hung lighting

Circular glass pieces sit close together within timber frames, alternating deep green, amber and clear glass. They appear both on the wall behind a long banquette and beside the windows in the main dining room. The hand-blown discs take their shape from the indentation in the base of a wine bottle.

Each dining room has different lighting: large, pale pendants hang in the main room, warm-coloured shades light smaller tables, and wall lights sit between timber frames and pictures. Groups of artworks hang relatively low, near the banquettes and wall panelling.

Prioritising glass, lighting and woodwork

FictionWorks directed the main investment towards stained glass, custom lighting and woodwork, choosing more economical tabletops, mosaic flooring, second-hand art and accessories. Timber flooring and small black-and-white tiles mark different areas; pale dining chairs sit beside deep-green banquettes, while the bar stools have blue seats.

Napa farmhouses and French bistros provide the references for this renovation. The formerly open-plan restaurant is divided into connected dining spaces, with woodwork, green banquettes, round tables and stained glass across the main dining area, bar and smaller rooms.