A new vinyl bar in Mexico City updates the classic French bistro

The multidisciplinary creative firm MYT+GLVDK has worked its magic on a leafy street in Mexico City’s Polanco district. In the hands of partners Andrés Mier y Terán and Regina Galvanduque, a traditional oyster bar has emerged as Saint-Jacques Bistrot, a smart neighbourhood seafood and vinyl bar with a sustainable mindset.

The duo played with the comptoir concept, balancing refreshed recycled materials with informal denim. In the renovation, they uncovered a vintage terrazzo floor and solid oak bar and preserved bits of ironwork from the building’s former life. The sustainable bits set the tone for elegant bespoke furnishings in stained poplar and bejuco, and lighting in resin and metal. New Formica surfaces complement the recovered bar and new tables, linking the present with the past.

One wall is dedicated to art books, objets and the extensive vinyl offering. Custom speakers on the wood-panelled walls are deployed at mealtimes, contributing to the casual vibe created by the denim upholstery and server uniforms designed in collaboration with Mexico City’s 1⁄8 Takamura. Brown and black leather in the wainscotting and banquette seating pick up shades in the terrazzo floors and old wood grains, and vintage Thonet chairs on the terrace are rejuvenated with aluminium edging.

The palette ties together the restaurant’s three pillars: music, mixology and French dishes by chefs Israel Montero and Karina Mejía. The scene as a whole might evoke a fisherman’s cabin or a Japanese listening bar, depending on the point of view. The mashup of rural and urban, new and retro is everywhere.