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The Brief

Heading out for an Italian dinner in Paris might seem counterintuitive. Then again, you can’t eat escargot every night. And at Adela, which opened in the City of Light in July, fresh pasta is presented with distinctly French flair. Credit for the restaurant’s chic environment goes to local architect Jessica Mille, who filled the space with art nouveau references, in part to play up the link between Adela’s fusion of two different cultural identities. “Since the early 20th century, art nouveau has been synonymous with French brasseries, which often sought to distinguish themselves with stylish craft elements,” she says. “But I also see it in some ways as a resurrection of the Baroque movement, which has Italian roots.”

Adela’s owners, a couple in their twenties, sought out Mille — a fixture in the Paris hospitality scene — specifically for her ability to reinterpret history through a contemporary lens. In other words, Adela may be a thoughtful tribute to the past, but there are plenty of fun updates in the mix, too. “Our specialty is using colours and materials to bring a lively touch to classic codes,” Mille explains.

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The Setting

In some ways, Mille’s approach to Adela’s design is also a reflection of the restaurant’s location in the Grands Boulevards area of Paris. “It’s known for its bohemian atmosphere, having attracted writers, artists and intellectuals over the decades, and is now filled with art galleries, theatres and music venues,” she says. “I wanted to capture that artistry.” She felt especially inspired by 14 rue d’Abbeville, a nearby building that makes a bold break from the austerity of the neighbouring Haussmann-style architecture with floral stoneware adornments. While the influence of the 1901 landmark can best be seen inside Adela, Mille did make some updates to the restaurant’s facade, retrofitting the ground floor of its building (which previously housed an Asian bistro) with walnut-framed sliding doors embellished with curvy woodwork.

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The Design

Adela’s kitchen is spread across three floors: Pasta dough is made in the basement, then cut into shape by chefs on the ground floor before finally being cooked upstairs. (A dumb waiter facilitates delivery between the various levels.) Throughout the two-storey dining area, winding lines echo this sense of flow. Knowing that sinuous geometry is a hallmark of art nouveau design, Mille set out to evoke images of unfurled calligraphy. “The first letter of Adela, a capital A, was the starting point,” she says. “But pasta shapes and ribbon also fed into the design process.”

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The Details

Continuing the project’s revivalist spirit, Mille enlisted a team of artisans with time-honoured skills. The ground floor’s botanical fresco (which continues onto one of the dining room’s columns) is the work of Victor Brun, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Brussels. “He painted it over two weeks, lying on scaffolding,” recalls Mille. “I gave him simple directions: I wanted floral patterns, pop colours, and a contrasting border, which is typical of the art nouveau movement, and is called the whiplash line.” Studio Vitrail Bianconi, a local stained-glass specialist, handled the booth dividers. “I immediately loved their approach, combining a great mastery of traditional knowledge with modernity,” Mille says. “I gave them maximum freedom.”

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The Scene

Maintaining Mille’s balance between traditional brasserie style and modern edge, orange travertine tiles amp up cabochon flooring, while velvet cushions on the Thonet dining chairs coordinate with a wavelike feature wall. Another eclectic pairing awaits upstairs, where a mirrored ceiling reflects animal-print carpeting. A fun flirtation between various places, styles and time periods, Adela understands that pasta may start off rigid and dry, but it’s meant to be served loose and springy. (Mille’s go-to? Triangoli alla Norma, a Sicilian dish with eggplant and ricotta.)