This restaurant in Ahmedabad features a 32-foot-long communal dining table

Rooted in the culture of sharing a hearty North Indian meal, the Eat Punjab restaurant chain in Ahmedabad unveiled its fourth outlet, designed by Compartment S4. Spanning 2,000 square feet, the restaurant exudes warmth and familiarity, evoking the spirit of Punjab without resorting to clichés or overt thematic references.

“The intent was to maintain continuity in material language and brand recall, while allowing this outlet to develop its own distinct identity,” explain the designers. “The brief called for a space that fosters conversations, encourages community dining, and celebrates the act of gathering around food, rather than functioning as just another themed restaurant.”

The linear seating spaces at the restaurant.

The Space Tracing Company

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Drawing inspiration from everyday life in Punjab, the design centres on the idea of gathering at long tables to celebrate food as a shared experience. A 32-foot-long communal dining table, placed beneath an illuminated wooden grid, becomes the anchor around which the entire spatial narrative unfolds, giving the fourth outlet its name, Grid Pavilion. Suspended above, the wooden grid dotted with tiny button lights evokes the quiet charm of a starry night sky.

The partitions along the dining table reinterprate Phulkari: a traditional hand-embroidery craft from Punjab. The grid ceiling features tiny button lights evoking the feeling of a starry night.

The Space Tracing Company

The table also doubles as a social stage, where strangers, families, and varied groups dine along one continuous plane, echoing Punjab’s culture of shared meals. In parallel, the design team collaborated closely with a textile artist to reinterpret Phulkari, translating the craft into embroidered and block-printed textile inlays integrated into the partitions along the dining table.

The furnishing is sourced from Comfort. The switchboards are by Legrand, air conditioning by Mitsubishi, and paint by Asian Paints.

The Space Tracing Company

Art is conceptualised by Compartment S4 and detailed and executed by Dharitri Desai, with embroidery by Dharitri Desai and team, and block printing by Mukhtiyar of Saurabh Block Printing.

The Space Tracing Company

The dramatic central dining zone is one of three distinct dining experiences, conceived as a series of moments within a cohesive environment. The layout of this restaurant in Ahmedabad unfolds into two additional zones: a long, linear sofa seating arrangement suited for larger groups, and a more intimate cluster with a lowered ceiling that creates a sense of enclosure. Together, the three areas not only differentiate spatial experiences but also offer versatility in seating styles and dining moods.