Dario Restaurant brings a pink punk edge to Minneapolis’ North Loop
Minneapolis’ Dario Restaurant dishes up homemade pasta in quirky interiors designed by Wittkamper Studio
First-time restaurateurs chef Joe Rolle and bartender Stephen Rowe have recently opened Dario Restaurant, the latest hot ticket to arrive at Minneapolis’ North Loop, a neighbourhood known for its edgy shops, bars, breweries and coffee shops.
Discover Dario Restaurant, where Italian cuisine meets global influences
Dario’s distinctive feminine yet edgy aesthetic was brought to life by local hospitality designer Aaron Wittkamper of Wittkamper Studio. Inside, Benjamin Moore’s ‘A Touch of Pink’ painted wall blends with an image of a Roman statue peeking through a digital neon veil. Wittkamper describes the space as, ‘a light-filled, pink and teal environment, supported by an aesthetic that is both pristine and a bit punk rock’.
Brass accents contrast with the ‘undercurrent of energy’ that inspired the design and colour scheme. ‘Highlights include a small poetic archway in the main entry, along with a recessed back bar shelving wall and the kick rail below the bar,’ points out Wittkamper. Along those lines, an iridescent deeper teal velvet is used to anchor the end of the space in the brighter, yet smaller pink ‘Tiger Room’.
To ensure the long and skinny L-shaped space did not feel like a big cafeteria, Wittkamper placed two full-height white-washed oak lattice-like custom millwork pieces, which serve as bookends to the central bar area and dividing the overall restaurant into three main areas, without using an opaque divider to break up the space.
Floor-to-ceiling windows line the restaurant with banquette seating throughout the dining area, leading to a glass-enclosed pasta room, creating a fourth area, which transitions from a workspace by day to a dining area by night, where guests sit at the long butcher-block pasta-sheeting table. This provides an ‘eat-in-the-kitchen’ vibe where you can dine on everything from East Coast oysters topped with a Thai-style beef tartare to sautéed trout with saffron mussel emulsion, or doubled-sided stuffed ravioli with ricotta and caramelised sunchokes.
Guests can also opt to pull up a flamingo-like custom pink ‘Hula’ bar stool from Andreu World against a teardrop-shaped deep teal tile on the bar face, and order a Future Dancer, made with Destilerias Acha Extra Dry Vermouth, or a non-alcoholic option made with Shiitake tea.
Wittkamper adds, ‘I can comfortably say that Dario is a true expression of the owners’ culinary-forward personalities, as manifested in a restaurant.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Carole Dixon is a prolific lifestyle writer-editor currently based in Los Angeles. As a Wallpaper* contributor since 2004, she covers travel, architecture, art, fashion, food, design, beauty, and culture for the magazine and online, and was formerly the LA City editor for the Wallpaper* City Guides to Los Angeles.
-
These gravity-defying Santoni heels are a sculptural wonder
A closer look at Santoni’s Victoria pumps, which are defined by the architectural rigour of their gently slanted heels – an ode to the heritage footwear brand’s roots in Le Marche, Italy
By Jack Moss Published
-
Le Labo’s Kyoto flagship blends wabi-sabi with the art of slow perfumery
Le Labo has a new flagship in Kyoto’s Shimokorikicho, Nakagyo-ku neighbourhood, a celebration of Japanese heritage and craftsmanship
By Kelsey Mulvey Published
-
Venice Architecture Biennale 2025: a glimpse of what’s to come
Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 and its curator Carlo Ratti reveal the theme, 'Intelligens', and first glimpses into what’s to come at the festival's launch next spring
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Scribner’s Catskill Lodge introduces funky rounded cabins
Scribner’s Catskill Lodge tapped design firm Post Company for 11 new dodecagonal cabins
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Famed steakhouse Beefbar opens an art deco-infused outpost in New York City
Beefbar’s first US location finds a home in an impressive 1920s Tribeca building, boasting interiors by Humbert & Poyet
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Bar Spero, in Washington DC, nods to the playful nature of Spanish cuisine
Bar Spero is a Spanish seafood bar and grill designed by Streetsense and led by chef Johnny Spero
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Southern Arizona sets the scene for a corking vineyard experience at Los Milics
Los Milics winery, designed by Chen + Suchart Studio, is set among vines at the foothills of the Mustang Mountains
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Enjoy camp escapism at Hotel Bardo Savannah
Hotel Bardo Savannah is a sophisticated resort inspired by the grand tradition of the early 20th-century salon
By Sallie Lewis Published
-
Get groovy at The Pinky Ring, Las Vegas, a 1970s cocktail lounge shaking up the city
The Pinky Ring is a Las Vegas cocktail and live music venue designed by Yabu Pushelberg for Bruno Mars
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Inside the lavish, members-only Core Club New York
Core Club opens a new flagship in New York, boasting top-tier hospitality and entertainment, and a terrace with panoramic Manhattan views
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Warren Street Hotel is a colourful marvel in downtown Tribeca
The Warren Street Hotel boasts a distinct blue façade and eclectic interiors by Kit Kemp Design Studio
By Sofia de la Cruz Published