Housed across the ground floor of a residential building in Palermo, Italy, the new restaurant Antica Birreria has debuted in the heart of the Sicily. Drawing its name from the Italian translation of “ancient brewery,” the new eatery is housed within a former clothing store transformed by locally based design practice Studio DiDeA.
Flooded with natural light, the interiors warmly reinterpret the design principles of northern European breweries and lunch counters with a materiality that consists largely of oak. Counters are topped with green Guatemalan marble that complements a diner-like aesthetic expressed by benches wrapped in green leather. The numerous pillars that punctuate the dining room are shrouded in climbing ivy that further reinforces the green palette. An industrial flair is also amplified throughout the interior with an exposed ceiling, walls of gray cement resin, and brass chandeliers.