The main inspirations for the interior design were Palm Springs modernism and David Hockney's painting A Bigger Splash, which lent the space its burnt-orange walls and pastel accents.
What do David Hockney's paintings of West Coast scenes have to do with Seinfeld, the quintessential New York City sitcom? They're both among the bicoastal influences behind Louis Pretty, the new restaurant in Berlin's Kreuzberg district that's bringing a modern take on Jewish-American food to the German capital.
Its name is a nod to 1930s gangster Louis "Pretty" Amberg—a tough known for stabbing his enemies in the face with a fork. (His most notable victim? Comedian Milton Berle.)
To create the space, Oskar Melzer and bothers James and David Ardinast drew from a wide range of American influences, even importing New York chef Joey Pasarella to run the kitchen. For the interiors, they turned to Philipp Mainzer of Philipp Mainzer Office for Architecture and Design, who designed the space with Paul Bauer and Melzer. The result is a space that blends vibrant color and custom furniture—all served with a side of schmaltz.
