Ninyas by Ignacio Urquiza Arquitectos is a 100-square-meter restaurant that takes a simple concept—rib eye tacos paired with sake—and reimagines it as a spatial narrative, where the act of eating becomes intertwined with material and cultural exploration.
Located in Mexico City’s Juárez neighborhood, the restaurant draws from its origins as a family tradition, transforming the intimacy of home-cooked meals into a public dining experience that invites connection and curiosity. The project began with a father and son’s love for hosting meals at home, where friends gathered around bar-style grills to perfect their signature tacos. This spirit of hospitality became the foundation for Ninyas, with its design aiming to retain the conviviality and warmth of those gatherings while bridging the culinary traditions of Mexico and Japan.
To articulate this fusion of cultures, the design team drew inspiration from shared elements of Mexican and Japanese dining environments. Stainless steel—a material synonymous with both teppanyaki grills and classic taco stands—takes center stage, wrapping the walls and forming the restaurant’s kitchen furniture and high dining bars. This reflective surface, paired with an ocher-colored non-slip epoxy floor, creates a space that feels both industrial and intimate. The interplay of light and reflection animates the interior, subtly weaving the movements of diners into the design.
Contrasting this cool metallic foundation, warmer materials like wood and ceramics lend texture and depth. A mezzanine-level bar features wooden floors, walls, and ceilings, creating a more enclosed and intimate atmosphere. Custom-designed oak stools, with their circular seats and stainless-steel footrests, punctuate the dining space with tactile comfort while maintaining a dialogue with the predominant materials.
The relationship between interior and exterior is thoughtfully mediated by a façade of six pivoting and folding glass panels. These elements allow the dining area to expand visually and physically onto the street, integrating the restaurant into the rhythm of the neighborhood. Whether fully open or partially closed, the façade fosters a sense of openness and interaction, echoing the restaurant's ethos of shared experience.
Rather than relegating the kitchen to the back, Ninyas places it at the heart of the design. Shelving, crafted from lightweight materials, divides the preparation area from the dining space without severing the visual connection. Plates, bottles, and utensils are stored in plain view, reinforcing the transparency and immediacy of the culinary process. Above, stainless steel racks hold sake bottles, linking the visual language of the kitchen to the mezzanine bar.
