Design Watch: CT Restaurant Designer Christian P. Arkay-Leliever

Here’s a little quiz for you all… Does anyone know what the following establishments have in common?

• Char + Lemon – Oxford, CT

• Place 2B — New Haven, Springfield, MA (Dallas, TX soon to come!)

• Geronimo – Fairfield, CT

• Camacho Garage – New Haven, CT

• Bar Yoshi – Nantucket, MA

• Shell & Bones – New Haven, CT

• Ali Baba’s Kitchen – Hamden, CT

• Dockside Brewery – Milford, CT

• Mrs. London’s – Westport, CT

• Esh Mediterranean – Fairfield, CT (Opening spring 2023)

• RAW* – Hartford, CT

• Eli’s Tavern – Milford, CT

• Roost – Hamden, CT

• Reverie Brewery – Newtown, CT 

• Gaffney’s – Saratoga Springs, NY

• BE Chocolat – Fairfield, CT

• Sea Grille – Nantucket, MA

• Captain Parkers – West Yarmouth

• The Haven Beer Co – Hamden, CT (Coming soon!)

• Field Trip – New York, NY (Harlem)

• RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen – Tarrytown, NY

• Crabtrees Kittle House – Chappaqua, NY

• Haymont House – Briarcliff Manor, NY

• B.GOOD – Fairfield, CT 

• Materia (redesign in progress) – Litchfield CT

• Curated Fine Meats – East Hampton, NY (Coming soon!)

• Tru North – Bridgeport, CT

• Red Fish Grill, Orange, CT

• Cantina -- Hartford, CT (Coming soon!)

• O Bar – Nantucket, MA (Coming soon!)

• Salon – Fairfield, CT (Coming soon!)

• The Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, CT

• La Terrasse at Union League Cafe, New Haven CT

• The Terrace at the Hadley, Southport, CT

• The Picnic Basket – New York, NY

Need some more time? A few of you will know the answer, but my guess is that most of you won’t. These restaurants, venues and small businesses were all designed by Fairfield-based Christian P. Arkay-Leliever.

I first met Christian a few years ago at Rooms with a View, a premier charitable design event that takes place annually at Southport Congregational Church. He was tasked with the almost-impossible assignment of transforming a commonplace chapel space into a pop-up dining venue fit for an elegant gala. I was eager to see what this larger than life man (he’s 6”5’!) with an equally as large personality would come up with. When told me that he was going to turn the mundane space into a floral covered café under a starlit sky I thought to myself, “Ok this is really cool,” followed immediately by “How the hell is he going to do that?” 

Christian had a very well executed plan, and just like that he created something that rivaled the most spectacular Broadway set as large to-the-ceiling trees dressed in willow and hydrangea branches, and dazzling miniature lights transformed the space. Tables, chairs, banquettes, vinyl flooring, high tops, mobile bars, string curtains and a special music compilation were all brought in to complete the effort that was nothing less than spectacular. It takes someone with an incredible vision and talent to have been able to pull off something like that.

Curious to know how he started designing restaurants and how he ended up where he is now, I asked him to meet me at a place of his choice. He suggested Char + Lemon. If you’ve never been, it is well worth the drive. They’re on point with their pizza game with not one but two pizza ovens; a traditional and an electric one, which I had never seen before. The restaurant is vibrant and airy and very Instagram friendly.  In between bites of pizza and sips of fun cocktails I started asking him my questions.

CTBites: What was your first restaurant, and how did that come about? Were there any particular challenges?

CPA-L: Toronto, Canada  

CTBites: How did they find you? 

CPA-L: A friend referred me

CTBites: In the early days how did you find new projects?

CPA-L: My projects were all through referrals in those early days.

CTBites: Do you have a certain (signature) style?

CPA-L: I wouldn’t say I have a certain style but I try to carry certain elements throughout my work.

CTBites: Can you walk us through the steps from concept to finish?

CPA-L: It all starts with a dialogue. We talk about vision, expectations and budget discussions for everyone involved (including ourselves). The Schematic/Concept design then ensues. There’s much more dialogue and upon approvals, and then the process becomes more detailed; with Design Development and actual drawings/plans, materials, architectural finishes and products and final budgets. 
Then the construction, hopefully, begins.  Good communication through the whole design project is incredibly important – It’s got to be honest and transparent and always involves compromise, negotiation, time management, and then finally a launch.  

CTBites: What advice would you give to someone who would like to follow in your footsteps?

CPA-L: Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Source, re source and source again, innovate and create.  See the world, carpe diem. Collaborate, invest the time and energy into your vendor relationships.  Enjoy travel, appreciate cultures, learn to listen, learn to respect, share what talents you have or have learned to help benefit others.  If you give it your all, you will be fulfilled and others will come to respect and admire you knowing you cared.  

CTBites:  That’s all great advice for anyone in any field!
Do you have a favorite restaurant or bar project? You can share more than one if you want

CPA-L: Crabtrees Kittle House in Chappaqua, NY. This led to building a very strong personal relationship with ownership and new projects such as Rivermarket Bar and Kitchen, Tarrytown, NY. Then Geronimo and Camacho Garage for the same reasons. I also really enjoyed working on Field Trip in Harlem. There was a lot of storytelling, history and soul.  Again, this one was about relationships and long term friendships.

CTBites: What are your favorite restaurant interiors NOT designed by you?

CPA-L: Mercer Kitchen, NYC

  Maple & Ash, Chicago

  Tavern at GrayBarns, CT

  Vendome, Köln, Germany

  The Hempel, London, UK

CTBites: What's your favorite food?

CPA-L: I love Shrimp & Grits, a great burger or a bone-in Filet...

CTBites: What's your beverage of choice?

CPA-L: Red Wine

CTBites: What are some of your favorite Connecticut restaurants?

CPA-L: The Chelsea (The Chelsea Burger and a great Spanish Red Wine)

The Whelk (Shrimp & Grits with a rich, mineral, stone, White Burgundy) 

Luigis (A Margherita pie with an arugula salad and a perfect Chianti to boot)

Geronimo (Guac and chips, ribs, Hatch green chili and a Geronimo Spicy Margarita; finish w an amazing Anejo tequila)

CTBites: Ok, I have one last question for you. If you could offer a bit of advice to someone who might want to follow in your footsteps, what would it be?

CPA-L: One has to always be thinking creatively, no matter what field you are in.  One must feed their passions on an ongoing basis.  Be willing to endure change, but create positive change as well; craft experiences for those close to you and those around you.  Compromise in favor of better and always, always cultivate and maintain relationships.  It is these relationships that will be your support throughout your career and your own personal journey; they will cultivate you.

Thank you Christian… We have a lot more of your restaurants to check out!