A PERFECT RECIPE

“To invite someone is to take responsibility for their happiness for as long as they remain under your roof.”

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, “The Physiology of Taste”

“A Perfect Recipe” is a new project by the Marcante-Testa architectural studio for a restaurant designed for a small number of guests, aiming to offer a unique experience in direct visual connection with the chef and the preparation of food.

The space is designed to evoke the intimacy of a home, with an atmosphere that celebrates conviviality through the skilled use of colors, materials, artwork, and objects that, alongside the food, tell the story and culture of the territory. The architecture is distinguished by its flexibility, designed to encourage interaction between guests, providing them with an immersive sensory experience, almost as if they were in their own home.

The project unfolds within a large apartment overlooking a historic square and is divided into four main functions: welcome, dining experience, food preparation, and wine tasting. Each function is visually connected to the others, through an architectural frame that marks the transition and enriches the narrative of the experience.

A model of a space that celebrates exchange, growth, and sharing.

A project that aims for an ethical refinement in contrast to ostentatious luxury.

WELCOMING

The initial space is designed to immediately communicate values such as sharing, transformation, and hospitality. A small library, a record player, and thoughtfully arranged seating create intimate and inviting corners, evoking the warmth of home.

The goal is to generate a sense of well-being and attention to detail, as though one were a guest in the home of a close friend.

The relationship between interior and exterior is highlighted by the use of wall-mounted surfaces and frames that capture views of the surrounding historic landscape.

This space serves as a pause, a transitional moment between “outside and inside,” preparing guests both mentally and physically for the ritual of a shared, exceptional meal.

THE DINING EXPERIENCE

A black lacquered frame introduces the dining area, with a communal table positioned at its heart. All guests are in direct visual connection with the chef and the kitchen, as well as with the surrounding historic architecture.

Taste, smell, and sight are elevated as the primary senses through which guests not only experience the chef’s cuisine but also the region’s cultural identity.

The high-backed chairs ensure a sense of both intimacy and openness, with only the guests’ heads visible from a distance. The marble table surface seamlessly integrates with the plating counter, while the wine cellar, positioned at the far end of the room, forms the final visual perspective.

FOOD PREPARATION

The chef’s activity is framed by a marble element resembling a proscenium arch, elevating and ritualising the act of cooking. The process of preparation continues at the table itself: eating and composing a dish become cultural, social, and symbolic acts.

This gesture underscores the metamorphosis of food and fosters an emotional connection with the diners gathered around the table. In this context, the preparation and consumption of food are understood, through the lens of proxemics, as occurring within a “territory for acquaintances”.

WINE TASTING

The wine cellar is the room of final transformation. Here, wine rests, evolves, and perfects itself, much like the guests who partake in the experience.

This space embodies the continuity of change and the potential to thrive when placed in the right environment.

After all, we are speaking of living systems. Of objects shaped by human hands. Of rooms that will host life itself.

Ultimately, this is about creating truly living spaces!