Sat just a stones-throw from the Principality Stadium, the brothers behind the lauded Bar 44 tapas restaurants have opened their much anticipated spin-off Asador 44, with branding by Limegreentangerine.
Traditional asadors can be found in almost every village across northern Spain, they are essentially meat barbeques and, more often than not, are the social hub of the local communities. In development since 2015, having trodden the Spanish foothills exploring the best ingredients from interesting producers, the idea sparked to bring the style to Wales. Fast forward two years and today Asador 44’s speciality dry-aged old Galician ox and 9-year-old Asturian ex-dairy cow 700g sirloin sharing steak rank among the very best.
The brand is grounded through a thread of understated rusticity, the keystone of which is incredible produce – chuleton steaks, char-grilled fish and vegetables – impeccably prepared and cooked beautifully on a custom-made grill over artisan charcoal; each dish both flavourful and memorable. A cheese cupboard and walk-in wine stall packed with carefully chosen Spanish wines (which you’ll be guided through by their on-site sommelier Fergus) create unique experiential hallmarks.
Seeking to pierce the noise of typical food/ingredient or empty interior photography common to advertising and marketing of competing restaurants, the visual language taps into the core ethos of rural simplicity and the raw, natural fuel they cook over. The logo is set simply in a rough stencil-style serif face, using a copper, deep blue and taupe colour palette foiled onto warmly tactile recycled stocks (Antalis Particles and Curious Matter) for daily in-house menu printing. Seasoning the brand with a stroke of abstract sophistication and intrigue to mirror the modern interior finishes; we took big chunks of charcoal making a series of fluid shapes, patterns and marks to provide a natural, earthy sensibility. This will be rolled out across collateral and marketing.
Six months after launch, Asador 44 has been listed in the Michelin Guide.
Read about our work for Bar 44 and follow Asador 44 on Twitter for more information.
