PORTFOLIO
INFORMATION
CONTACT
CONTACT
Tessere
2025
BRAND & VISUAL IDENTITY
PRINT DESIGN
NAMING & COPYWRITING
We were approached by the owners of a neighbourhood Italian restaurant in North London. Their venue might have been small, but their ambition to make an impression was anything but.
To deliver on that ambition, they brought in head chef Adamo de Simone – a graduate of the world-renowned Alma institute – whose authenticity and flair would shape the entire venture.
From the start, it was clear Adamo had no interest in serving the usual high-street staples of pollo arrabbiata, carbonara, and bolognese. His vision ran deeper – rooted not just in Italian food, but in the culture of Italian dining itself.
Together with the young chef we defined the concept: a neighbourhood hosteria, inseparable from the fabric of the community around it, and alive with the same spirit as the family-run restaurants of his native Italy.
That vision became the foundation of our work, and the collaboration that followed defined each of the project decisions.
First and foremost, the goal was to bring people together – to create a place where local businesses, residents, and visitors could weave into a vibrant tapestry of social life and chance encounters.
With the exception of pasta, every dish would be dictated by the day’s ingredients from the greengrocer, butcher, fishmonger, and cheesemonger that lined the same street. The menu would change daily, shaped by what could be sourced that morning – lending each visit a sense of curiosity and anticipation. If you didn’t try the polpo alla Luciana today, you might never see it again.
Adamo’s vision extended beyond the food. He imagined a space that shifted with the rhythms of the day: brisk working lunches in the afternoon, early dinners welcoming families after school, long evenings that stretched into late-night glasses of wine in true Mediterranean spirit. At the weekend, a chef’s table would turn a Saturday night into an unforgettable, intimate experience to be shared with loved ones.
The aesthetic took its cue from the unvarnished sophistication of the true neighbourhood hosteria. Exposed brickwork and raw steel weren’t to be disguised, but celebrated. Less kitsch Vesuvio, more the warmth of a Neapolitan family kitchen.
Handmade papers, raw linen, and a muted Il Tricolore carried a quiet nod to heritage while setting the restaurant apart from tired expectations. Copy spoke with warmth and invitation, reinforcing the idea of dining as a shared experience, while tactile print collateral anchored the brand in the real world.
Menus were deliberately uncluttered, their layouts guiding diners through a focused selection at a natural pace – an echo of the unhurried rhythm of the restaurant itself.
And yet, it wasn’t until the name emerged that everything truly fell into place. Tessere – “to weave” – unpretentiously captured the spirit of the place: the weaving together of people, food, and community into something greater than the sum of its parts.
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