Italian food is like no other, and when you share it with others, you enjoy it even more. The cuisine is so special that UNESCO designated it as Intangible Cultural Heritage, recognizing not only the cuisine but also the friendliness of the country’s cherished rituals, from family meals to age-old traditions still practiced today.
Tobaccoa new contemporary Italian restaurant in Atlanta, named after the Italo-Galaelic word for smoke, celebrates that same spirit. Designed by Arcturis | Square Feet Studio, Grassfed Culture Hospitalityand HAND Studio, a busy square served as the inspiration for the restaurant. “There’s an expansive open space, and the activity happens around it,” says Rachel Uhelski, interior designer and project manager at Square Feet Studio. “All these different moments make for a beautiful community.”
The layout is reminiscent of an open market, which encourages guests to circulate throughout the restaurant and gaze at the culinary delights on the menu. There is a pasta room, a wine station, and a dry-cured meat room. An addition not usually found in a town square – a DJ booth. All genres of music rotate to keep the atmosphere alive in the 150-seat dining room. An open wood-burning hearth sits at the center of it all, paired with an open kitchen where executive chef Sebastián Vargas prepares signature dishes such as cavatelli and trout.
The sculptural plaster forms a curved cap above the head and wraps around the columns, creating softer lines in the space. A hand-finished whitewash brings subtle texture to the walls and complements the freshness. Blackened metal, forged by a local workshop, pays homage to craftsmanship. Combined with brass accents, the interplay of light and dark elements provides plenty of shine.
A cocktail bar works as a glamorous statement piece. The polished Ceppo Rosso marble top with embedded pebble fragments is reminiscent of Italy’s famous mosaics. The color palette takes its cues from farm-to-table hues. Paprika-toned ceiling inserts are illuminated by cove lighting. The same rich red hue reappears on the wall behind the kitchen and on the banquette and bar stool wallpaper. A coffee bar has shelves and tiles in a luxurious shade of green that highlights the walnut furniture.
At Füm, different aspects merge as easily as flavors to highlight every detail and turn a simple meal into an unforgettable occasion. “The restaurant was designed to be attractive,” notes Uhelski. “And as you move through it, you experience each of the senses in one place.”
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee.
