Last year, as we looked into the design phenomena that we predicted would shape life and interiors in 2026, I appropriated the David Bowie-inspired expression Space Oddity to reference restaurants and high-fidelity clubs where sleek, back-lit surfaces, sculptural lines, and sensorial palettes transport guests elsewhere — a dimension where the everyday momentarily pauses to give way to an alternate, fantasy world.
That same intention is what, in my opinion, drives the relentless advance of red bars: a desire to break free from the norm and have fun. In a bleak and uncertain world, these escapism-ready addresses are becoming ubiquitous within the London bar industry — and just as prominent in other global metropolises.
