Genelec deploys its audio technology at the Mercantina Bistro restaurant 37 from Lisbon

The local distributor and integrator Garret Audiovisuais has installed different systems from the series 4000 of the manufacturer overcoming the architectural challenges of the emblematic building in which the establishment is located.

Located on the lively boulevard of Avenida de la República, in the Saldanha neighborhood of the Portuguese capital, Mercantina Bistro 37 It is the third restaurant that the chain Mercantine opens in Lisbon, on this occasion in the elegant building that once housed the Café Cubana, where the most famous artists of Portuguese surrealism attended.

seven decades later, the interior of this space, with its striking murals of rich colors designed by architect Tiago Silva Dias, offers echoes of the building's surreal past.

Garrett Audiovisuais, distributor and AV integration specialist from Portugal, has designed and integrated the control and audio system by zones in all areas of the bar and restaurant, which is based on the serie 4000 from the professional audio monitor manufacturer Genelec.

As Alain Pierre de Garrett explains, project manager, The owners of Mercantina were regular customers of JNcWHAT, the well-known Lisbon restaurant equipped by Garrett Audiovisuals with Genelec monitors, and were very impressed with the audio system.

“José Bartolomé Duarte addressed us, one of the founding partners of Mercantina and asked us if we could get a similar experience to JNcQUOI at his new Italian restaurant, -explains this manager-. “We responded to the request with a Genelec solution that convinced the client and awarded us the contract for the AV project.”.

The requirement was to create a zoned solution in multiple rooms to provide high quality ambient sound throughout the different spaces of the restaurant., as well as the glamorous cocktail bar. The owners also wanted to create a more club atmosphere when needed, whether it was Friday and Saturday nights or for private parties.

In total four zones were defined: the bar, attended by four powerful 4030 and complemented with a subwoofer 7050, to which Garrett added a pair of stereo audio inputs that can be fed from a DJ booth.

"El of the Genelec system 4030 sounds amazing at low levels during the day and at the beginning of the night, but it is also powerful enough and reaches enough low in bass to sound perfect when you turn up the volume if you want to create a more festive atmosphere - Pierre points out -. When you add the sub to the mix, “The whole place starts jumping.”.

Garrett opted for six Genelec compacts 4020 for the main dining area, plus a sub 7050 for bass extension when performing DJ performances or other sources, in addition to installing this model in both the semi-private dining area and the private VIP room.

To define the zones, an audio matrix was deployed Xilica Neutrino A0816, whose level is controlled from a Xilica 7-SM touch screen. The rest of the parameters have been predefined and their access blocked to ensure that the matrix and the monitor system do not become overloaded or sound excessively loud..

“Our main problem was dealing with the complicated acoustics of the place. As the restaurant is located in a beautiful old building with high ceilings, aesthetically it is ideal, "but it's quite difficult to make it sound good," says Pierre.. The high ceiling was a real problem, especially in the semi-private area, so we made some equalization adjustments with the audio matrix to correct the acoustic problems in the room. Combined with the room compensation controls each monitor has on the rear panel, “We have achieved excellent results”.

José Bartolome Duarte, founding partner of Mercantina, He assures that “we loved what Garrett had achieved in JNcQUOI. The entire facility exudes quality, both aesthetically and from an audio point of view. I wanted the same for our new restaurant and he has again done a great job. We have a reliable audio system, flexible and easy to use. The results are exactly what we expected.”.