Italian restaurant Dario has joined the F&B scene in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood.
Crafted by Wittkamper Studio, Dario’s design concept leans on a thoughtfully layered set of offbeat contradictions that exude a light, occasionally irreverent sophistication.
Curves are juxtaposed by intricate wood geometries, while soft pink and teals serve as a canvas for punk rock and heavy metal imagery. Clusters of angular willow branches are set against fuzzy velvet and an image of a Roman statue peeks through a digital neon veil.
Despite these contrasts, Dario maintains an atmosphere of cohesion and serenity. The space is anchored by a curved soffit that unfolds over the main bar and continues onward above the kitchen and food pass. This curvature, painted in a pale pink, unifies the large L-shaped restaurant.
The pink and teal color palette is supported by white-washed millwork (as seen in the bar top, table tops, and chairs) and punctuated by brass accents. A star of the space, the flamingo-like pink bar stools pop against a deep teal-tiled bar face.
The majority of the seating is arranged in floating clusters of booths and banquettes, which allows for staff to whisk along the perimeter in uninterrupted movement.
An adjacent room—which appears as a glass box that visually expands the dining room—is used by day as a pasta production area. At night, it seats diners at a 13-foot-long butcher block pasta sheeting table.
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