This is not the Applebee’s of middle America. Nor is it, however, the Applebee’s of London’s Stoney Street, a fixture of the restaurant scene at Borough Market for 25 years. The latter has been completely transformed by London interiors studio A-nrd, which reimagined the old shabby-chic interior as a serious seafood bistro with deep connections to the historic atmosphere.

The time was right for a redesign of the London restaurant. With the popularity of Borough Market at an all-time high, both among fine food shoppers and loitering tourists, the demand for sit-down dining is fierce. To cut through the mayhem, restaurants need to present a welcoming face and a logical space to passers-by. A-nrd’s brief called for a timeless, transportive experience that honours the building’s legacy, and partners Alessio Nardi and Lukas Persakovas responded with a heritage palette and contemporary language that feel authentic, rooted and elevated.

‘Applebee’s has such a strong connection to its site,’ says Nardi. ‘It was important for us not to impose a new identity, but rather to excavate and elevate the character already there – to work with the building’s natural rhythm and texture and draw from the market’s soul.’

The studio took inspiration from the surrounding textures, tones and materiality of the Southwark location and from the context of old fishmongers. Dark oak bi-folding doors at the entrance open to a bar-height seating area with casual café tables and leather stools by Crest, leading around a bend to an exposed-brick dining room with bespoke booths. New walls are coated in warm lime-washed stucco. There are 40 seats in all, some upholstered in a heritage teal to match the newly painted facade.

A central oak-framed eating counter is clad in stone-coloured limewashed stucco and embedded with a terrazzo countertop, as well as integrated displays for shellfish on ice. Sage-coloured mosaic tiles from Solus appear as accents behind the bar and embedded in antique mirror frames — they also nod to a feature wall in the original Applebee’s. Strips of dark oak run through the plan, making room for retro-inspired antique-brass sconces by Felix.

The same terrazzo on the bar is inlaid in dining room tables around the back, complemented by cane chairs with tan leather seats. Curved custom oak benches are inset into alcoves. Specials are written in chalk on a traditional blackboard. The classic design cues are subtle but effective. ‘We didn’t want to overdesign,’ says Nardi. ‘We wanted to create an environment that felt true to the food, the team and the market itself, something layered, honest and full of warmth and character.’

Read next: London restaurant The Lavery takes its name from the artist-in-residence

Sushi Park at Saint Laurent Paris is a fashionable collab for the ages