Brand Identity And Packaging For Carmel

Carmel rejects Barcelona clichés for the Spain locals actually lived in.

Faena Studio created the brand identity and packaging for Carmel, a Roma Norte bar restaurant inspired by traditional Spanish neighborhood bars. A direct, functional aesthetic and nostalgic goldfinch icon connect the venue to owner Guillem's childhood in Barcelona's Carmel neighborhood.

More in gray

Set in Saans

Insights

The main design move was avoiding flamenco-and-bullfighting clichés and instead evoking the unglamorous reality of Spanish neighborhood bars: football on TV, hand-painted menus, and layered posters.
The goldfinch, or "jilguero," is the identity's emotional centerpiece; it references a bar — reported as Bar Los Noveles, since closed — opposite owner Guillem's childhood home in Barcelona's Carmel neighbourhood, where goldfinch singing competitions were held.
FAENA Studio used a restrained black-and-white system with the goldfinch in warm yellow, plus frames, borders, and dividers inspired by tile patterns and casual bar counters to build the packaging and visual language.
Typography is Saans by Displaay, chosen by the studio for its neutrality and simplicity — a functional backbone that stays legible against the system's visual density.
The project connects a Mexico City audience to a very specific slice of Barcelona memory, turning a personal origin story into a brand identity for a tapas-style neighbourhood bar-restaurant.