Gheama is a new Georgian restaurant in Milan fostering good conversation in the company of great design. The space is the first restaurant design by Nata Janberidze and Keti Toloraia, the duo behind Rooms Studio.
The space is a study in compelling contrasts, with hefty, nouveau-medieval furniture, such as blocky black wood chairs and steel chandeliers, alongside whimsical, monochromatic touches like a torch-holding hand popping out from the wall. The result is a restaurant that feels like the stage set for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, if it were designed by a French modernist.
Triangle-shaped hanging lights and pedestal lamps by British designer Elliot Barnes sits alongside collectible pieces from Room Studio’s own ‘Wild Minimalism’ collection, which includes an oversized wooden chess table, steel chandliers, roomy black wood chairs carved with geometric patterns, and monochromatic tapestries that look like textile interpretations of Matisse's cut-outs.
From Janberidze and Toloraia's perspective, the restaurant is an aesthetic articulation of their experience growing up in Tbilisi, Georgia. ‘The idea was to create a meditative atmosphere,' say the pair, 'and a feeling of wholeness and oneness by using repeating motifs with Georgian aesthetics, simple shapes and raw natural materials.'
‘Gheama’ means ‘good for you’ in Georgian, and every aspect of the space – from its interiors to its food and regional wine – has been designed to create a warm, nourishing, and creative atmosphere.
‘As international as many variations of cuisine have become, this small nation's abundant traditions in the kitchen have been left untouched,' says Gheama's founder Irina Shengelidze. ‘Through Gheama, our guests will have a unique chance to get to know Georgia more closely. This will be a space for artists, photographers, designers.'
The restaurant opening was one of the highlights of Milan Design Week 2022. Say Janberidze and Toloraia: ‘We wanted visitors to feel part of a communal, social feast – Gheama is a Georgian supra with a Milanese twist.'
INFORMATION
-
Five of the finest compact cameras available todayPocketable cameras are having a moment. We’ve assembled a set of cutting-edge compacts that’ll free you from the ubiquity of smartphone photography and help focus your image making
-
London label Wed Studio is embracing ‘oddness’ when it comes to bridal dressingThe in-the-know choice for fashion-discerning brides, Wed Studio’s latest collection explores the idea that garments can hold emotions – a reflection of designers Amy Trinh and Evan Phillips’ increasingly experimental approach
-
Arts institution Pivô breathes new life into neglected Lina Bo Bardi building in BahiaNon-profit cultural institution Pivô is reactivating a Lina Bo Bardi landmark in Salvador da Bahia in a bid to foster artistic dialogue and community engagement
-
Check in at Aman Rosa Alpina, a modern Alpine cocoonSan Cassiano’s historic hotel has been reborn as a pared-back Aman refuge in the heart of the Dolomites
-
Mediterranean dreams come true at this radiant Puglian hotelA former convent has been converted into Vista Ostuni, a plush bolthole inspired by the landscape and heritage of the Puglia region
-
Stay in a pastel-hued Puglian palazzo as it starts a new chapterA haven for the design-minded, Palazzo Daniele reopens following a thoughtful restoration by Milan-based Studio Palomba Serafini and GS Collection
-
This Italian palazzo-turned-café adds a dash of drama to your morning espressoDesigned by studio AMAA, Caffè Nazionale brings new energy to a 19th-century former town hall in the northern Italian town of Arzignano
-
Pierre-Yves Rochon celebrates ‘the great tradition of Italian design’ in Four Seasons Hotel Milano refreshThe sophisticated hotel’s 118 rooms and suites have been redesigned by the acclaimed designer and long-time collaborator of the brand
-
At this elegant new aparthotel in Florence, local living is done rightThis Time Tomorrow offers bespoke itineraries and neoclassical interiors that echo the city’s layered soul
-
Do luxury hotels need a farmer-in-residence?From Ibiza to Indonesia, hospitality brands are cultivating a new travel experience, where wellness begins in the soil and ends at the table
-
Il Sereno’s new Listening Suite is what phonophiles’ dreams are made ofDesigned by Patricia Urquiola and Il Sereno founder and audiophile Luis Contreras, the new Lake Como-facing suite unites Japanese listening culture with Italian design
