A Match Made in Hastings: Inside the Design Story of Lury Restaurant

Lury had a last-minute cancellation, and lucky for us we managed to slip into a table for two. We had no idea what to expect, but from the first course onwards we were transported. By chance, only weeks earlier I had written about slow space design — and here it was, in practice. Not only slow food, carefully sourced and crafted, but a space that felt equally unhurried. Every element seemed to carry a story, and it became clear that the design was no afterthought.

What made me especially curious was that Lury sits in what we as catering consultants might call a “cursed location.” Just off the town centre, it’s easy to overlook— down a flight of stairs, in a spot where restaurants have to work harder to be seen. But instead of fighting this, Issy Cianchi and Jack Lury, the husband and wife team behind the restaurant, have embraced it. They chose small, understated signage, unassuming by design, signalling that this is not a place for walk-ins but somewhere worth seeking out. That quiet decision — thoughtful from the outset — sets the tone for the entire experience.

While the critics (Charlotte Ivers among them in The Sunday Times) have praised Lury’s bold and ambitious food — and we agree with Ivers, Lury should already be on Michelin’s radar — this piece is not about the dishes. It is about the space and the quiet brilliance of Issy’s design choices that shape how the evening unfolds.

We had the pleasure of returning to Lury in the daylight to meet with Issy, Jack, and their little boy. The restaurant felt the same by day – calm, homely, and serene. We spoke about kitchen design, interiors, and their story of how Lury came to be. What struck me most was how thoughtfully Issy described the design process — every answer was considered, heartfelt, and grounded in the same care that goes into Jack’s food. Rather than reframe her words, I’ve kept the interview direct. Here are a few of the questions, with Issy’s responses in her own voice.

When you began shaping Lury’s space, was there a particular mood, memory, or place you wanted to evoke?

Before we had a baby (and a restaurant) and used to visit wonderful places to eat, Jack would always spend the meal talking about the food and I would spend it talking about the space and all the other details involved. Things we would always agree on were the comfort or lack thereof in a restaurant, particularly important with tasting menus as you are sat for quite a long time. Two restaurants that we both loved for many reasons, but particularly for the vibe and comfort, were Hjem in Northumberland and Osip in Bruton. In terms of mood I wanted our space to feel warm, romantic and comfortable.

Nothing in the room feels accidental. How did you decide which elements would make the final cut, and what connects them all?

The jumping off point when I started working on designs was a photo I took of one of Jack’s dishes. From this image I pulled the entire colour palette for the space and the branding evolved from that. I suppose the main connection between everything is that it is all entirely from myself and Jack’s design styles and taste. Some elements in the space were an absolute essential from my perspective, for example the fabric on several of the walls which were commissioned and sourced from a supplier in Sri Lanka whom we were very keen to work with.

However some things like the large mirror on one wall we inherited from the previous owners and quite genuinely with all the will in the world were not able to prise it off the wall and so decided to paint the frame in an approved colour and lean in to the restriction and work alongside it and actually I now really like it and thinks it works well. I also like the idea that no one has ever been able to remove it and it will remain there for every iteration of the space.

How did you think about matching the look of the space with the style of food Jack creates?

A quote Jack likes very much is from Coco Chanel, who advises that ‘Before you leave the house, you should look in the mirror and remove one item.’ Now, this is not a practice I subscribe to when it comes to fashion necessarily, but Jack thinks about it when creating new dishes and I do when designing a space. I don’t think the intention is to be minimalist for the sake of it, but more about refining the design to be as confident and considered as possible. Jack believes in everything on the plate being edible and important to the dish and so I wanted to make sure there weren’t things in the space that didn’t fulfil a specific purpose either.

What’s one decision about the space — whether an object, a colour, or a layout choice — that might seem small but you feel makes a big difference to the atmosphere?

I think the fabric on the walls has had the desired effect which was to soften the room, as every single wall is exposed brick and it felt very cold and hard before. We also decided to keep all 10 seats to the front of the restaurant and not squeeze any in the space near the bar. Instead we have devoted the space across from the bar to an ‘artist in residence’ installation which changes every couple of months and highlights some of the many incredible artists and makers in the local area.

You decorated the space yourselves rather than hiring a team. How did doing the work with your own hands shape your connection to the finished restaurant?

So, we had a couple of months, and just a two thousand pound budget to transform the space, which was no mean feat, and meant we absolutely had to do everything ourselves. We spent a long time searching for second hand chairs but did end up using a significant part of the budget on new ones as it felt important that the chairs were perfect but that did mean we had no choice but to try and upcycle old tables. I spent several weeks stripping tables, sanding, painting and sealing and although they’re not perfect I think the texture and bespoke colour work well in the space and make a nod to a more sustainable, slow paced design which is very important to everything Jack thinks of when it comes to the food and ingredients as well.

I think we both feel an immense sense of satisfaction having done it all and it feels like we’re presenting the very purest vision of ourselves. I think we also both think we can happily never sand a floor again ourselves for as long as we live but I very much enjoy that I have done it and have much more understanding about what we would expect from a team doing work on future projects.

When you were hands-on with the decorating, did you run into any surprises with the building that shaped the final design?

How long have you got…the building is old and so not without its quirks, the most significant of which being the floors and the walls. My idea for affixing wooden batons to the walls which fabric would be draped over was, I thought, a very simple design but when it came to it we discovered that the different walls were either made from cheese or diamond and we melted several drill bits trying to drill into it. Another thing we learnt the hard way was when we hired a standing floor belt sander and a small hand sander for the edges thinking we would spend a day or two whizzing up and down the floor boards ready to varnish. Within minutes we discovered there were wonky nails sticking out of nearly every board which required grinding down first creating quite dramatic sparks so as not to break said belt sander and incur a hefty fine. We then started with the sander and realised that due to the floor being so old and worn the boards were not flat and so the sander was catching none of the layers of old, dark paint and varnishes so we have no choice but to use the small hand edge sander to do the entire floor. I believe it has made a huge difference to the space and was worth it in the end but it was a truly testing few days working day and night to finish.

When you step back now and watch guests experience the space for the first time, what moments tell you you’ve achieved what you set out to create?

A frequent comment guests make is that we have created a space that feels like coming into our own house. And although they don’t know it, this is actually not far from the truth in a design sense. I approached the restaurant design purely from my own sense of taste rather than focusing on any preconceived idea of what a restaurant ‘should’ be, and so our own house does share a very similar vibe.

Another thing that we weren’t expecting is that far more tables speak to each other over the course of the night which also implies that they feel comfortable and as if they are in a home which helps enhance a lovely vibe.

We have also sold several pieces of art work over the course of our artists in residence which helps reinforce my belief that food, art and design all need to come together and be curated with the same care to create an impactful space.

 

Re-reading the interview as I write this brings me back to the memory of the experience. Issy’s description of wanting the space to feel romantic feels just right — it captures not only the design, but also the food, the atmosphere, and even the silence that fell when each new dish arrived. There is a deep satisfaction in sitting back after a course, letting the flavours and the space settle together.

What makes Lury remarkable is not a big budget, but the clarity of heart and vision. Guests often say it feels like stepping into someone’s home — but it is more than that. You can sense the intention behind every detail, and yet it comes across as effortless.

The changing artwork seals the concept, reminding us that food, interiors, art, memory, and history are all connected. At Lury, these elements are not layered on; they are considered, and beautifully restrained. And this is exactly what we at Cooper8 are passionate about… it’s the way design, food, and atmosphere work together to create meaning beyond function. The result at Lury is an experience that is complete, confident, and — quite simply — unforgettable.

Written by Giorgia, Cooper8 Ltd