Solera: An Intimate Dining Experience in Mount Maunganui

Client is Solera

A neighbourhood wine bar with a refined edge.

In the heart of Mount Maunganui, Solera is an intimate restaurant and wine bar built around good food, thoughtful wine, and warm hospitality.

Founded by Nick Potts and Chloe Ashman, Solera was inspired by the relaxed wine bars they had enjoyed during their time in Melbourne. Their vision was to create something equally special at the Mount: a place with exceptional food and wine, without losing the ease and warmth that makes you want to return.

The long, intimate space brings the kitchen, bar, and dining room together, with seating woven throughout to make the most of every part of the restaurant. Alongside traditional tables and chairs, guests can pull up a stool by the window for a little bit of people-watching at passers-by, or take a front-row seat at the open kitchen and watch the chefs at work. With plenty of ways to settle in, each spot offers a different way to experience Solera.

Working with Solera, we helped shape a seating solution that complements their relaxed approach to dining, balancing comfort and character with the durability needed for a busy hospitality environment.

Making the most of an intimate space.

At the front of Solera, a long window counter runs alongside the glass frontage, looking out onto the main street of Mount Maunganui. Paired with our Harriet bar stools in walnut with black seats it creates a relaxed spot to enjoy a drink or a bite to eat while watching the world go by.

The warmth of the walnut works beautifully within Solera's interior, while the simple profile of the Harriet keeps the area feeling open and uncluttered.

Further inside, the open kitchen becomes part of the dining experience. A long kitchen counter gives guests a front-row view of the chefs at work, with our Walter bar stools in anthracite providing a comfortable place to settle in and enjoy the theatre of service.

With upholstered seats and supportive backs, the Walter bar stools are particularly well suited to this part of the restaurant, where guests may spend an evening sharing dishes, discovering new wines, and watching each plate come together just metres away.

Together, these two areas make clever use of Solera's long footprint, turning the edges of the restaurant into some of its most engaging places to sit.

Warm, considered seating throughout.

Beyond the counter seating, the dining area offers a more traditional place to gather around the table.

Our Victoria dining chairs were selected for this part of the restaurant, bringing the warmth of timber and a simple silhouette that sits naturally alongside Solera's rich materials and intimate atmosphere.

While the Victoria is no longer part of our current collection, our Eliza chair in dark oak offers a similar look for hospitality projects today. With its curved timber back and upholstered seat, it brings together warmth, comfort, and a clean profile that works beautifully in restaurants, wine bars, and cafés.

The mix of seating throughout Solera gives each part of the restaurant its own character without feeling disconnected. Guests can pull up a stool overlooking the street, sit alongside the open kitchen, or settle around a table for a longer meal.

A restaurant designed to be enjoyed.

Solera is a great example of how thoughtful furniture choices can help shape the way a restaurant feels and how people experience it.

The seating makes the most of the space without overwhelming it. Warm timber, dark finishes, and comfortable upholstery sit naturally within the interior, while the different seating areas create plenty of reasons to return and experience Solera from another perspective.

The result feels intimate, relaxed, and full of character. It's a space designed around sharing food, discovering wine, watching the kitchen at work, and enjoying good company.

For hospitality spaces like Solera, choosing furniture is about more than finding pieces that look good. It's about understanding how every part of the venue can be used and finding practical, comfortable solutions that feel right at home in the space.

Planning a restaurant, wine bar, café, or hospitality fit-out? Get in touch with our team to find furniture solutions that suit your space and the experience you want to create.