But looking for a slightly more sophisticated yet casual dining venue, there was a change of heart. Initial images shown to architectural practice ODO by its clients also made the morsels of meat slightly difficult to swallow (figuratively speaking).

The style pages for inspiration initially showed images taken from the HBO television series Games of Thrones. Gothic-style arches framing iron-suited guardsmen were seen by ODO as more appropriate to a Disneyland setting.

"The owners are huge fans of the series, but we thought the interior [now approximately 320 square metres of floor space] required a more contemporary approach," says architect Sam Tiew, director of ODO, who worked closely with co-director Jon Liow, who graduated in industrial design.

The images that were finally presented showed waiters in silk vests worn with aprons with leather straps. Other images on the architects' storyboard included feature walls of piles of logs, along with a suite of more contemporary finishes such as black mild steel and rough timbers.

Stainless steel mesh, raw concrete and basalt stonewalls were also considered appropriate. "We saw the interiors as a combination of rough and highly refined," says Tiew, who also presented images of the type of food that was to be on offer.

While ODO was allowed to create a unique interior (it inherited a shell with 8.5-metre-high ceilings), the facade, except for new windows, remained unchanged. And although it would have been considerably easier to create one large beer-style hall with soaring ceilings, the architects could see the advantages of including a mezzanine and top level to allow for several dining experiences.

As a result of this decision, five different dining areas have been created at Hunter & Barrel. There's the dining area at ground level, located between the open kitchen and bar. This area enjoys the benefit of the high ceilings. There's also a semi-private dining area adjacent to the stone-clad bar. Wrapped in cedar, this second dining area accommodates groups of up to 12 people. And on the mezzanine, protected by a "veil" of mesh (sliding door), is a third dining area. Modest in scale and framed by built-in planters, the "mezzanine cafe" offers an intimate space for small groups. As the ceiling height was generous, ODO was able to comfortably fit two additional dining areas on the first floor. From the perspective from the central void, one is framed by planks of cedar, the other with black steel bracing, the latter, evocative of the black leather strapped aprons that were initially presented.

Irrespective of which dining area patrons gravitate towards, the emphasis is on subtlety rather than being cliched. The leather used for the banquette-style seating and dining chairs, for example, is diamond-stitched to tie in with the steel balustrades framing one of the upstairs dining areas. However, the architects weren't afraid of referencing some of the more obvious hallmarks, such as beer barrels that form a feature wall upstairs. "When you're designing a restaurant, it is a form of branding," says Liow, "but the branding can be subtle and linger well after the food is digested."

For ODO, designing a retail fit-out, such as Hunter & Barrel also comes with keeping both clients and their patrons in mind. They may also be fans of Game of Thrones. But the design had to provide an engaging environment for patrons as well as address the operational needs of staff. "One of the other issues with projects such as these is timing. All the tenancies on the Square were required to open at the same time," adds Tiew.