New York-based ICRAVE has been tapped to design the Istanbul locations of two sister restaurants—Serafina, a classic Italian pizzeria, and Brasserie Cognac, a traditional French bistro. The new restaurants, owned by Serafina Restaurant Group and franchised by Istanbul-based Dinesty, are slated to open in October.
Serafina’s 1,668-square-foot space will feature engaging art and modern design elements with a yellow color palette. The entry features yellow and blue Tuscan-patterned concrete tile lining the floor, complemented by walls of distressed gray wood and chipped yellow paint. Terracotta bricks wrap the open, charcoal-burning oven.
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Further into the main dining room, oversized, glowing pendants with a high gloss yellow metal interior trim delineate the wood-floored seating areas. Modern winged oak and white leather chairs line the distressed white oak tables. Set in the back, a dimly lit bar is wrapped in two-tone cork tile.
Feature walls throughout the main dining room are activated with creative art programming by IMURI. The distressed brick wall behind leather banquette seating boasts a vibrant plaster mural featuring the faces of well-known Italian actresses. On the opposite wall, Italian newspapers are overlaid with yellow Ferrari and Lamborghini graphics.
Next door, the 1,452-square-foot Brasserie Cognac features dark finishes and brass accents. Reminiscent of a traditional French tabac, guests enter a bar area that is sectioned by marble mosaic flooring and a ceiling canvassed in vintage postcards. Opposite the bar, an intimate banquette sits adjacent to Cognac’s wine room, visible through a metal mesh and tempered seeded-glass wall.
In the main dining area, pendant lights hang from an ornate white tin ceiling. Caramel colored leather chairs sit opposite the crimson leather banquettes with Carrara marble tabletops in between. White subway tiles feature custom printed graphics, while smoked mirrors are painted with French poems.
