Quadri, Venise
“The concept of Quadri simply is Quadri. Quadri was extraordinary, except it was little sleepy. Out of respect, love and intelligence, we didn’t want to change such a powerful concentration of mystery, beauty, oddity and poetry. We simply looked for its wonders, and we discovered a wonderland.
Everything here is a mental game, with its own magical little music. Hidden fertile surprises come to life everywhere; on the walls with the fabric, in the lights with the surrealistic chandeliers and in the chimeric taxidermy collection that inhabits the place; the animals came here and wings grew on their backs, becoming fantasy creatures like the mythical winged Lion of Venice.
This dream partly comes from my brain, my heart and my folly; yet we needed hands to make it a reality. And the secret of Quadri’s absolute quality is the Venetian artisans.” Ph.S
Quadri, the multi-faceted historic 18th-century grancaffè and restaurant in St Mark’s Square owned by the Alajmo family since 2010, reopens its doors after a major restoration. A transformation revealing the original magic of the place in a romantic and slightly surrealistic atmosphere imagined by Philippe Starck and crafted by selected Venetian artisans.
The restoration project was initiated by Massimiliano and Raffaele Alajmo based on the need and desire to preserve the extraordinary heritage of Quadri, and to create a legacy making its mark on both contemporary history and the history of Italian cuisine.
To operate this delicate restoration, the Alajmos called upon the French creator Philippe Starck. The brothers and Starck met 10 years ago and already collaborated on the creation of two previous restaurants, Caffè Stern a phantasmagoric bacaro in the heart of Paris and AMO a mysterious and elegant café located inside the T Fondaco dei Tedeschi building in Venice.
This new collaboration began with a love story; a human love story and a love story for Venice, its mystery and elegance. Quadri is a place that belongs to Venice, completely Venetian in its respected essence, and revealed by magic.
Philippe Starck and the Alajmo brothers named Marino Folin, architect and ex-director of the IUAV architecture university, to oversee the work of the best traditional Venetian artisans. Folin was also responsible for contacting local government officials in charge of preserving the artistic heritage of the city and getting their approval on all aspects of the restoration.
Ristorante Quadri represents the contemporary expression of traditional Italian and Venetian dishes. The fish arrives fresh from the Rialto market each day, as does the produce, based on seasonal availability. The Ristorante Quadri menu is presented as three tasting menus—Max, Raf and Quattro Atti (Four Acts)—but guests can also choose to order two or three courses, selecting from any of the dishes on the three menus.
For more information, see press release attached
www.alajmo.com/quadri
