The team behind Osteria Savio Volpe and Pepino’s Spaghetti House recently opened the doors of their third concept, La Tana in Vancouver, Canada, loosely translating to “The Den” in Italian. Designed by local studio Ste Marie and inspired by old world establishments, Caffè La Tana is styled after the Italian alimentari: a small, neighbourhood gathering place serving pastries and simple meals; brewing strong, Italian style espresso; making fresh pasta in house; and stocking the finest imported Italian meats, cheeses and dry goods.
“The idea for the name was a play on the name of our other restaurant: Savio Volpe – La Tana being the idea that it’s the Cantina of our cunning fox where he keeps his treasures,” said co-owner Craig Stanghetta, who worked closely with his colleagues Carmen Cheung and Kate Richard at Ste Marie to design the space.
Bedecked with deep green marble, antique shelving and custom woodwork, classic tiled flooring, and a tailor-made, hand-drawn wallpaper, the La Tana space, designed evokes Italy’s elegance as influenced by Ste Marie’s eye for the unexpected.
“We endeavored for La Tana to be two things: elegant and effortless,” — a physical manifestation of the Italians’ age-old gift of making art out of life, as best exemplified by the Pasta Fresca station, where guests can watch the pastaio’s labor of love in progress.“Selfishly, I wanted a place that would bring me back to my favorite memories of traveling in Italy with my family and happening upon a tiny hole in the wall that turns out to be warm, welcoming and special,” says Stanghetta.
“Our vision was to create a space that encapsulated the grocers and cafes in Italy during the 19th century, having that old-world Italian charm when you walked through its doors and imbuing a sense of familiarity, charm and comfort,” added Cheung.
