Sitting within the Windsor end of Chapel Street’s vibrant milieu of restaurants, bars and clubs, Studio Amaro offers a dynamic Italian dining proposition set across two levels of a newly constructed building. Commune Group, the operators behind Asian restaurants Tokyo Tina, Hanoi Hannah and MoonHouse, engaged Bergman and Co to help assimilate their Italian gastronomic sea change dream into reality.

The expansive ground floor, wrapped in a dynamic orange colored window treatment, is divided by a granite and mosaic-tiled bar, defining intimate pockets to dine and drink. A delicate veil of bespoke bar shelving, aglow with liquor, reaffirms the restaurant’s bar offer to the street and begs participants to indulge in a cheeky Aperol Spritz or an after dinner eponymous Amaro. The open bar shelving allows a peek-a-boo to the comings and goings of the adjacent dining area while an open kitchen enriches the dining atmosphere with energy and authenticity.

Yellow corduroy banquettes sit against olive-toned walls, stained plywood and banded timber cladding, crafting an inviting palette with mid-century inflections. Custom made parchment lights stretch out from the bar shelving, grounding the second dining space and handing it its own slice of ‘I want to sit here’. Below ground sits a bunker-style cocktail bar, containing you in a darker, moodier tone.    

A glossy burnt orange bar shelving unit enlists the use of bronzed mirrors to expand the dimly lit subterranean space and reflect the bevy of bottles towards the oncoming traffic. Stained cork floors are complemented by plywood lined walls, glazed tiling, and retro inspired fabrics — a nod to the venue’s disco and funk music spun from a re-purposed mid-century console, nestled amongst eclectic furniture and lighting pieces.