Cucina Mia

Place
At the new Cucina Mia restaurant in the Sheraton Grand Warsaw, Epicurean has brought together a contemporary Italian dining room with local craftspeople and European artisans to design a space that is relevant to its location and target market; the modern traveller.

The project was a complete refurbishment starting with a strip back to shell and a complete re-working of the floor layout to reposition the hotel. With a gentle cream, burgundy and olive colour palette, colours of the Mediterranean are used to create a luxe-casual ambiance where locals and visitors combine to ‘work, meet, and relax’. A large ‘U’ shaped bar connects the lounge and all-day dining restaurant changing from a café into a food deli as it moves through the spaces. There are a range of experiences on offer; an informal lounge and bar space with sofas, armchairs, low level lighting and bespoke planters to invite the guests to relax; along with a 60-cover dining room that is anchored by soft banquettes and wine tasting tables for an added experience. An intimate private dining space is available for guests including those from the local embassy who often frequent the space.

Beautiful bespoke furniture in oak and walnut have been crafted in Poland by Fast, a craft workshop who worked on all of the joinery within the project. The mix of timbers are complemented by turquoise ceramic tiles & bevelled mirror to invigorate the space along with a large mural centre-piece by Warsaw-based artist, Agata Czeremuszkin-Chrut; commissioned to evoke the motion of the Meditterranean sea whilst remaining abstract.

A new glazed entrance has been introduced to reflect the restaurant’s standing as a destination Italian eaterie in the city. Inside the hotel, Epicurean introduced a colonnade of archways, creating a rhythm that subtly draws the eye to the food and beverage spaces as guests enter the building. Intuitive wayfinding adds to the comforting and relaxed experience for visitors.

People
Warsaw-based artist Agata Czeremuszkin-Chrut was commissioned to create the centrepiece mural that adorns a large wall in the restaurant. Her work focuses on painting, mural painting and graphic design, and is characterized by an expressive and figurative style and abstract organic forms.

Regina Heinz, an Austrian artist, sculpted a series of sculptural ceramic artworks to adorn a double height lounge space.

Diane Hill from London painted a series of 8 luxurious watercolours depicting flora and fauna found within Poland which has been transformed into a beautiful wallcovering.

The two new restaurants in the Sheraton Grand Warsaw, Cucina Mia and InAzia are overseen by Executive chef Marcin Sasin. Sasin’s style combines traditional recipes with avant-garde techniques.

Food
Flavours are inspired by the colourful market squares of Naples, and the vibrant streets of Milan. The menus are created by Executive chef Marcin Sasin together with Riccardo Pinna, an Italian chef from Sardinia. Casual lunches, private dinners and one-of-a-kind cicchetti awaits, as well as quality coffee, liquors, wines and cocktails. Every bite is a discovery of flavours.

Epicurean

Client: Schroders