6 months of a monumental effort by all and here's the final finish!
It's starting to take shape..
Peeling back the layers, incredible architectural details from 1929 are revealed
Stage 1.. The beginning, an 80's NatWest clad interior
At the junction of Hucknall Road and Mansfield Road you'll find our new restaurant, Masala Junction, in the unusually shaped, characterful little bank building that used to be home to the NatWest bank for many years.
When we started on the renovations we began peeling back the years of neglect and uncovered some real architectural gems. The ceiling cornicing for instance, dated back to when the building was conceived and looked just beautiful. We lovingly restored where possible these original features of the building that made it so special when it was built in 1929.
Taking on a renovation project such as this came with its own set of dilemmas and we found ourselves faced with the rather unique challenge of dealing with the heavy, metal vaults and doors that came with the bank, some over a metre deep, a fun task as you can imagine! And designed, no doubt, with the intention of keeping people out, the polar opposite to what a restaurant sets out to achieve.. being warm and welcoming.
We certainly had our work cut out for us but we got to it. We steam-cleaned the exterior, regaining the charm and elegance of the building which we now think looks equally welcoming during the day as it does, with the glimpses of soft lighting from within, during the evening. And following 6 months of a monumental family effort we can finally say - Gone is the austere bank manager’s office and in its place is a cosy space for family or friends to enjoy some wonderful Indian cuisine; gone are the tellers’ booths and in their place is a contemporary, relaxing bar area for diners to unwind before or after their meal; gone is the vault and in its place, a treasure trove of a different kind and the heart of any restaurant, the kitchen.
We hope you can visit us and we look forward to welcoming you to Masala Junction. We hope you agree that we have been able to create a relaxed and refined dining environment for our guests to enjoy at their leisure.