A Tavola

Names of guests were etched into the bases of wine glasses and hand-painted ashtrays were well used, playful signatures marking what will become a restaurant that constructs itself, dinner by dinner. ‘A tavola!’ (‘come and eat!’) is typically called during a familial gathering, here it signals a return to the heart of the artistic community.

“A Tavola started as a conversation around eating in Milan, during Salone,” recalls Benni. “We have always felt that the thing that draws us all together is not only design but also the time we spend around the table. It felt like the whole idea grew organically from our interest in making things, and the want to bring our favourite people together”. Thinking back to that time, Charlotte adds, “We realised our biggest takeaway from the week, and the moments we felt inspired by, took place on the terrace of our apartment. Friends, and friends of friends, coming over to a makeshift table fashioned from a few napkins and stools, with various dishes made by us and them. These improvised gatherings sparked the idea of making the table a bit less makeshift.”

“While we are constantly discussing several ideas for potential places and set for the next A TAVOLA editions, the most important part will remain the people; having a travelling space where a community grows both around and on the table through a network of friends (of friends), designs and ingredients,” Zsuzsanna concludes. “Friends of friends extends to such a span and range of people so quickly, containing distant and unexpected links within that map of people.