At INC Architecture & Design, all restaurant design begins with the cuisine and the location. This newest dining addition to the Hudson Yards neighborhood is a Peruvian izakaya tavern serving Peruvian food with Japanese influences, a hybrid known as Nikkei cuisine. The design of Papa San is a celebration of the vibrancy of Peruvian aesthetic culture, Japanese refinement, and New York City’s urban grit. Embracing the space's unique proportions—a soaring 30-foot-tall interior with nearly 100 feet of full-height glass walls, INC has created a vibrant dining environment that balances a low-tech urban modernity with craft-culture warmth. Blurring the lines between inside and out, the greenhouse-like interior transforms the site's challenges into an opportunity for architectural and experiential storytelling by bringing in “the streets of NYC,” all while evoking the atmosphere of Peruvian and Japanese open-air night markets, the perfect atmosphere for Juan Correa, and Erik Ramirez's latest culinary project which celebrates cultural fusion.
The journey through Papa San begins at street level, where its presence is announced by an old-school neon night market sign, drawing the eye to the prominent 360-degree performance bar on the corner of 34th Street and 10th Avenue. The bar, run by the globally recognized Tres Monos team, is presented as a visual anchor. It features a level, work, and customer surface that fosters informal interaction between bartenders and guests. Its visibility and vibrancy on this active street corner set the tone for the space’s energetic, communal spirit, inviting curiosity and engagement from passersby and patrons alike.
Upon entry, the space reveals a tactile, low-tech, street-smart aesthetic: exposed ceilings, concrete floors, concrete block walls, construction-grade plywood, glass block, and highly textured plaster create a rough and ready canvas softened by verdant greenery and vibrant colors. Inspired by traditional Peruvian textiles introduced during the design process, the palette features pinks, yellows, blues, greens, and oranges. These approachable and inviting hues energize and provide contrast to the gritty urban palette. A sweeping pink spiral staircase commands attention, serving as the visual centerpiece and a dynamic connector between the restaurant’s three levels.
The ground floor is the heart of the dining experience, where the open kitchen with an all-stainless steel izakaya dining bar creates a fluid interaction between chef and guest, making a performance of preparing and enjoying food and drink. The mezzanine above houses a semi-private dining and listening room, its open design offering an intimate yet connected prospect looking over the main dining room. Vintage pine wood chairs and dusty blue Pirelli rubber flooring lend the PDR a retro charm. A built-in high-performance sound system and an acoustic all-plywood shell turn this PDR into an all-night, ear-popping, demo-dropping listening room.
Initially unconventional for a restaurant, the space's proportions are celebrated rather than concealed. Exposed ceilings and low-tech lighting grids emphasize verticality, while greenery cascades through the interiors, drawing inspiration from the wild character of Peruvian urban landscapes and night markets. Robust wooden furniture and repurposed industrial cabinets add layers of high-function grit, grounding the space in durability with an everyday character. Each unexpected element fosters a sense of exploration and curiosity. With its bold hue and sculptural form, the spiral staircase invites movement between levels, amplifying the space’s playful and slightly chaotic energy. Similarly, the layout’s openness allows for moments of connection—between diners, staff, and patrons and between the vibrant interiors and the urban surroundings of Hudson Yards.
Papa San’s design celebrates cultural and architectural storytelling. INC Architecture & Design thoughtfully balanced the spontaneity of Peruvian vibrancy with the precision of Japanese simplicity, creating a space that feels grounded and adventurous. By blending bold materiality, tactile details, and moments of visual surprise, Papa San offers an immersive, communal, and uniquely alive dining experience.
