carne
by Giorgio Nava

A warm and deliberate reincarnation of Milanese élan in the heart of Cape Town. Inhouse Design Studio was the creative partner behind all of Giorgio Nava's restaurant ventures, and Carne, his celebrated Italian steakhouse, stands as one of the studio's most enduring hospitality collaborations.

For the original Carne on Keerom Street, the brief was simple and uncompromising: create a space that felt authentically Italian without resorting to cliché. The result was an intimate, warmly lit environment that let the quality of the food and the spirit of the brand speak loudest.

When demand outgrew the original location, Nava returned to Inhouse to design a second branch on Kloof Street. Creative Director Aidan Hart mirrored the quiet design principles of Keerom while honouring the Victorian bones of the new building. Raw Oregon pine clads the walls, exposed brick adds texture and depth, and the original Victorian fireplace was preserved as a centrepiece of warmth. Timber floors and high ceilings give the space an unhurried, generous quality. At the rear, a marble and steel bar anchors the room, flanked by high-back barstools upholstered in animal hide. Moody, mottled-grey accent walls provide contrast, while a deep red shelving unit, displaying Nava's personal collection of antique copper vessels and an impressive wine selection, injects the passionate flair of Italian culture into the room. The result is an elegant, unpretentious space that treats the food as the hero and the interior as its most fitting stae.