Already bulging with succulent prosciutto, earthy hunks of parmigiano and syrupy balsamic vinegar, Italy’s Reggio Emilia has a new gastronomic delight called Sambirano. Located in the city’s historic pasticceria (formerly called La Torinese), Sambirano is much more than a chic pastry shop. The sprawling space features a bistro restaurant, a cafe, tea room, a chocolate shop, a well-stocked Enoteca wine store and champagne bar, and a homeware design and flower shop, as well as a delicatessen packed with fresh foods and canned specialty items under the new Sambirano label.
The multi-tasking, 500 sq m food space was designed by architect Benta Wiley and interior designer Luca Mercatelli. The duo preserved the 18th century bones and façade of Palazzo Scaruffi-Busetti. Inside, however, the designers added intriguing details such as an island pastry bar shaped like a giant asteroid hunk in the middle of a cavernous room. Though it looks like glass-topped, faceted stone, the bar is made from aged brass printed with a tapestry effect, while the coffee bar is made from butterscotch-and-cream-swirled Palomino marble. The other rooms – for dining and shopping – each have light and dark aesthetics, giving a different rhythm to each space. The minimal restaurant features a black and white etched-looking forest scene wallpaper, antique wood tables and Vitra chairs, while the bathroom is jazzed up in red paint and circus wallpaper.
The delicatessen, meanwhile, features a huge selection of Sambirano’s locally-made specialty products, categorised on library-style bookshelves. Wrapped up in great-looking, sartorial packaging, standouts include artichokes and asparagus packed in oil, exotic passion fruit and preserved tomatoes that look as chic as table top accessories.
While preserving the original building’s 18th and 19th century bones and façade, the designers added intriguing details such as an island pastry bar shaped like a giant asteroid hunk in the middle of a cavernous room
The sprawling space features a bistro restaurant and a well-stocked Enoteca wine shop and bar...
... a homeware design and flower shop, and a delicatessen packed with fresh foods and canned specialty items under the new Sambirano label
The dining and shopping rooms each have light and dark aesthetics, giving a different rhythm to each space
The minimal restaurant features a black and white etched-looking forest scene wallpaper, while the bathroom is jazzed up in red paint and circus wallpaper
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Sambirano website
Photography courtesy Matteo Piazza
ADDRESS
Sambirano
Via Francesco Crispi
3 Reggio Emilia + Piazza Monsignor Biella
Seregno, Reggio Emilia
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