Project description
Gate Avenue forms an exciting hub in Dubai's International Financial Centre. The open-air promenade spans almost 1 km and connects DIFC to various residential neighbourhoods. Gate Avenue is a unique cultural experience home to vibrant retail, sophisticated dining and plentiful parklands.
Chic Nonna is a two-story Italian osteria gourmet restaurant—a unique blend of traditional simple, hearty dining within a modern urban atmosphere. Chic Nonna seamlessly maintains homemade ancestral cuisine and embraces the metropolitan soul of the city, offering a combination of timelessness and a relaxed atmosphere. The authentic taste of Italy is paired with carefully selected beverages. Chic Nonna is where timeless meets modernity.
LW Design has collaborated with Eric Kuster, who designed the original Chic Nonna in Lecce, Italy. The 'there is no place like home' motto ensures that guests will all experience the same sense of familiarity whilst enjoying an extraordinarily memorable experience, no matter where they are in the world.
Project brief
An inviting restaurant that heralds traditional osteria Italian dining, the upscale experience wholly embraces the best of Italian culinary traditions. The relaxed, cozy and inviting atmosphere combines traditional Italian features with elements of contemporary living.
Concept
The designers of LW quickly saw the highlights of the location and how the venue attracts a great presence and lasting impression. A double-height entrance is accentuated with an elegant metal frame façade and a foyer lined with mature olive trees. The private drop-off and valet parking offers an inviting first impression. Guests will walk through the oversized entrance into an impressive double void chamber with a seamless blend of Italian heritage and modern contemporary living. An open show kitchen creates an engaging centrepiece, and a staircase and the wine cellar link the ground-floor restaurant with the first-floor lounge. The materiality and residential details emphasise the space, with a consistent design style that flows into all areas throughout Chic Nonna.
Various design elements
Chic Nonna possesses a naturally cozy ambience over two floors. The ground floor envelops the open-plan kitchen where award-winning Michelin star chef Vito Mollica and his brigade work their magic. A chef's table is inside the bustling kitchen for a true sense of theatre and a one-of-a-kind experience. The impressive wine collection of Italian and other world wines are showcased in a wine cellar encasing the feature staircase that connects the dining room with the lounge bar. The impressive whiskey and cigar bar has an exclusive members club ambience and is furnished with a fireplace and library. Guests can enjoy an impressive private collection of distilled drinks and rare single barrel select on the rocks. The first floor is home to the Chic Nonna DJ. The long decorative cocktail bar and lounge encircle a stage that forms the backdrop for entertainment.
Technical elements
Chic Nonna has an impressive double-height welcome façade that forms a unique arrival experience and drop-off point. The double void connects elements of traditional Italy with the modern urban lifestyle synonymous with Dubai.
Material selection
LW Design chose timeless materials and used a sophisticated color palette of chalk, copper and pine green. They layered textures with the clever use of various materials such as timber with an aged patina, black gunmetal accessories, Italian Pietra Leccese sandstone, leather and velvet. Overall the materials, artwork and table dressings give an elegant yet unpretentious vibe.
Furniture chosen
The well-curated collection of furniture embraces various styles and possess vintage appeal. Oversized lighting hangs dramatically over each banquette or cluster of seating to create a sense of performance. Lemon trees are under spotlights to give a feeling of Mediterranean summers.
Team:
Architects:
Contractor: BW.
Designers: Jesper Axel and Rachel Kidd.
Photographer: Natelee Cocks
