Mr Simon — Udine, Italy

Speakeasies are all the rage these days, in part, we suspect, because of the frisson of the unexpected, especially the space itself once you manage to find it.
The owners behind Mr Simon have been assiduous in cloaking its precise location, admitting only to the fact that it’s set ‘inside a newly-opened restaurant in a very famous mall of the town in Udine’. A telephone reservation is required on a vintage white phone in the restaurant, following which one goes through the toilets, enters an employees-only broom closet, ring a bell, and the cement wall swings open.
The dimly lit interiors by Visual Display are a treat – a short concrete tunnel opens up into a deep blue nook furnished like the living room of the titular Mr Simon, a fictional fin de siècle botanist and alchemist, with blue velvet sofa, marble bar top, period prints, back-lit illustrated sconces, and vintage glass lamps.
Owner Simone Maion also tends the bar, shaking up cocktails from a stock of Italian vermouths, Japanese whiskeys and boubons – the lethal mix of choice being the Dietrich, a floozy concoction of candyfloss, London Dry Gin, tonka beans, dried orange and tonic water. If you’re abstaining for Lent, the small finger food menu comprises fresh oysters, wagyu and tartare burgers.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Five of the best travel cameras, pocketable friends for the peripatetic
Selected by the Wallpaper* technology and travel team, the following cameras are tiny but mighty devices, dexterous at capturing memories
-
12 things not to miss at Art Basel 2025
Art Basel is bigger and better than ever. Avoid overwhelm, follow our definite what-to-see guide at this year's event (19-22 June)
-
A colourful outdoor bar, inspired by an unbuilt Louis Kahn design, is coming to Philadelphia this summer
Frankie's Summer Club, a vibrant pop-up café, marks a new chapter for the former University of the Arts campus.
-
Detour Discotheque is bringing ‘the world’s dreamiest party’ to Puglia
The pop-up event, La Dolce Vita Disco, promises dancing, good food and sunshine in a 16th-century Italian farmhouse
-
Five tranquil suites by Patricia Urquiola suspend visitors ‘between sea and sky’ in Capri
Patricia Urquiola dreams up a study in contrast and tradition for the next chapter of Jumeirah Capri Palace
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in spring
Dreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Everything you need to know about Italy's Lake Maggiore, according to Formafantasma
From baroque gardens to panoramic views, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin show us around this Italian escape
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projects
Located within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitality
As women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
There’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
The best Milan bars for a fashionable aperitivo
Milan’s after-dark renaissance is evident in a new wave of design-led cocktail bars, setting the right mood for enticing aperitivos and nightcaps; Milan editor Laura May Todd recommends the best