Award-winning design house Faber and Company’s latest work is inspired by a menu that’s been described as ‘a love letter to Italian cuisine’. Housed in a two-hundred-year-old building in Royal Leamington Spa, every detail of the eatery pays homage to the beautiful country (or ‘Bel Paese’ as it’s officially known…).
Aptly named ‘Tavola’ to reference the important Italian tradition of gathering around the family dining table, the new venture is a café by day that evolves into a restaurant-bar in the evening. A stylish yet relaxed space, Tavola’s decor features homely touches to create founder Rob Singleton’s aim of a warm Italian welcome. Far from a curated look, its walls are brought to life with an eclectic homage to Italy that’s reflective of how we decorate our homes—featuring bright custom artwork interspersed with old Italian posters and natural landscapes that depict the country’s stunning geography.
Indeed, the idea of decor being naturally garnered over the course of our lives—often having special meaning—runs throughout Tavola.
Its main dining area cleverly creates the warmth of an Italian family home with a blend of furniture, tableware, trinkets, and cookbooks that looks like it could have accumulated in any Italian mama’s kitchen over the years. Its menu design is inspired by the Surrealism that dominated Italy’s art world around the beginning of the 20th Century. And sets of bespoke Tavola playing cards also line the tables—a nod to the importance of getting together for the (often very extended) ‘famiglia’ meal.
What also catches the eye at Tavola is the uplifting green that sweeps through the venue—a colour that’s believed to symbolise nature, hope, and freedom in Italy. And to create the perfect ambience, all 188 square metres of the restaurant are steeped in the natural light of its full-length windows and glass ceiling during the day, with elegant lamps lighting things up in the evening.
Tavola is a celebration of creativity and imagination—no more so than in Tuscan chef Martin Serafino’s menu which takes diners from pastries at breakfast through to ‘aperitivo’ or a three-course meal for dinner. Offering a blend of tradition and innovation, the dishes are perfectly complemented by an exciting array of drinks (courtesy of mixologist Luke Hampson).
The independent venue also celebrates the beauty of imperfection—most notable in its hand-drawn logo, a nod to the uniqueness of every artist’s signature. And even the staff uniforms honour the Tavola value of individual expression—featuring a bespoke silk scarf and pocket square that each team member can wear in their own way.
Tavola’s delicious dishes are made with the finest ingredients that Italy and the restaurant’s local area have to offer, served on its stunningly vibrant tableware. Designed by Faber and handmade in Italy, the crockery in particular has a strikingly sunny design that’s bursting with Amalfi lemons—adding further splashes of colour to the already inviting space. And it’s telling each restaurant’s unique story by considering and connecting all these little details that’s at the heart of Faber’s work. As Founder and Creative Director Tony Matters puts it:
“Our role is to define a feeling—an emotional landscape—within which we craft an experience. And at Tavola we are telling the story of the ‘famiglia’ meal, evoking a feeling of warm Italian hospitality by providing the perfect environment for the creation and enjoyment of delicious authentic food.”
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