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The world’s most artistic dining experiences
By Christina Makris | 23 January 2023 | Food & Drink, Travel
Something very special happens when fine art and fine dining combine, according to Christina Makris, author of Aesthetic Dining: The Art Restaurant Around the World. Discover Christina’s top destinations for indulging the senses as she shares her philosophy
Each summer, I have a birthday tradition to visit the Colombe d’Or in the south of France. Usually we sit outside, where we can people watch over a long lunch; but, one year, there was a storm and we were rushed inside the restaurant with military precision.
We found ourselves dining surrounded by the Colombe d’Or’s world-famous art collection – taking in works by Picasso, Miro, Matisse – and it was incredible to be able to be able to view the art in such an intimate, slow way, while enjoying our lunch. That’s when the idea for Aesthetic Dining was born.
I come from a family of restaurateurs, but my academic background was in philosophy before I moved into finance. I’m also an art collector and patron of the arts, so was writing articles about art, design, food and wine, and how these elements come together. I started researching other restaurants frequented by artists, or that housed art collections.
Over the next four years, I travelled the world – from France, Italy and Egypt to America and Australia – to find venues and chefs with a strong association with the arts or artists. As I got to know different places, I found many stories of friendships between chef and artist. There’s a real affinity between the two vocations that’s very complimentary; an interest and respect for each other’s process. After all, there’s an art to the rhythm of a restaurant, from preparing dishes to seeing the transition from lunch to dinner – it’s like theatre.
There are rituals in breaking bread around a table, opening a bottle of wine, that I think are quite important. Something about being around the table and dining with friends – whether it’s ad hoc or a grand occasion – is eternal. There’s magic in how we come together, and my philosophy is that the right environment can enhance our ability to think and eat together.
A great dining experience must combine food, surroundings and company; an authentic atmosphere contributes to the memories we make together. And, when you place beautiful art into the mix, it takes the experience to the next level. Read on to discover some of the most beautiful art restaurants in the world…
Colombe d’Or | Provence, France
A haven for artists and tastemakers for over a century, the Colombe d’Or has played host to some of the greatest names of modern European art, such as Picasso and Matisse, Calder and Miró. The Colombe d’Or is often cited as an inspiration and the perfect restaurant experience for many restaurateurs – and it’s a timeless space that keeps its diners captivated and existing on a different sense of time, as though they are in one of its achievable black and white photos from a time past.
Castello di Ama | Tuscany, Italy
A tiny medieval borgo situated between Siena and Florence, nestled in the heart of Chianti, Castello di Ama has been producing wine, its “nectar of the land” for four generations. The recent addition of the contemporary art and restaurant on the estate attracted a new audience of collectors and gourmands. At Castello di Ama, art, wine and food form a synergy for exploring taste, the “mission of life”, according to its owner, Lorena Sebasti. »
China Club | Hong Kong
The late entrepreneur and art collector, Sir David Tang, established private members club and restaurant, China Club, in his native Hong Kong in 1991. The club displays a substantial portion of Tang’s art collection. The collection, featuring more than 500 pieces, is a survey of modern and contemporary Chinese art. This art restaurant is a synthesis of opulent yet understated interiors and high-quality cooking, with every hallway and staircase filled with artworks from the multifaceted traditions of Chinese art.
The Gunton Arms | Norfolk, UK
The Gunton Arms is a 19th century former shooting lodge in Gunton Hall Park, owned by the Suffield family. The Norfolk pub, owned by art collector turned restauranteur, Ivor Braka, dishes out rural, Edwardian fantasy, alongside traditional rustic British fare. The art collection is the proprietor’s personal collection, which includes global names, such as Tracey Emin, Paula Rego, Tom of Finland, and are integrated as part of Braka’s thesis on Gunton being a haven for the irreverent.
Michael’s | Santa Monica, US
Michael McCarty is the man who invented the modern restaurant in America in the 1980s, by breaking formal European traditions and inserting his version of all-American dining. By creating his eponymous restaurant in Santa Monica in 1979, fine dining would now take place in a relaxed way, with modern art around the table. Central to McCarty’s vision of what a restaurant should be was displaying art, which he collected for decades, rotating works between home and his restaurants’ walls, the two being interchangeable for him.
‘Aesthetic Dining: The Art Restaurant Around the World’ is published by Cultureshock