Two Michelin-starred Seta Restaurant at Mandarin Oriental, Milan has unveiled an exclusive new dining space, the Duomo Private Dining Room. To celebrate, Seta’s Executive Chef Antonio Guida has created a special dish inspired by the dining room’s stylish Fornasetti-designed interiors.
Featuring bespoke furnishings and decorative pieces sourced from atelier Fornasetti’s impressive collection, the Duomo Private Dining Room is the latest collaboration between Fornasetti and Mandarin Oriental, Milan, which is the only hotel in the world to have an exclusive Fornasetti Suite designed by the company.
Re-imagining the flavour of the dining room’s marine-themed design for the palate, Chef Antonio Guida has created a suitably sophisticated Risotto with oyster, caviar and wood sorrel, to reflect the elegance of the interior design.
The dining room is named after the Duomo Sommerso wall panel art, which is based on an illustration created by Fornasetti’s founder, Piero Fornasetti, in 1951. Portraying Milan’s cathedral underwater with a myriad of fish swimming round it, the artwork blurs the boundaries between reality and illusion, creating a surreal, dreamlike world.
Hanging on the wall, either side of the Duomo Sommerso panel, are vintage decorative plates from Piero’s Cupole d’Italia series of church cupola reproductions.
Two corner cupboards are decorated with Piero’s depictions of early twentieth century soprano Lina Cavalieri, who was considered the ‘most beautiful woman in the world’ by her fans. Decorative lines on the portraits create an imaginary atlas illustrated with fish, algae and other sea life, adding another marine element to the room’s design.
The dining room ceiling features a delicate motif that mimics the clouds, enhancing the room’s dreamlike and soothing atmosphere. The Nuvolette wallpaper by Cole & Son, designed by Fornasetti’s creative director Barnaba Fornasetti, pays homage to his father Piero’s passion for engraving.
The Duomo Private Dining Room can accommodate up to eight guests and is available for food and wine tastings and other bespoke events.
