Opening Fall 2014: Geisha restaurant designed by ICRAVE

ICRAVE has been tapped to reimagine and design Geisha, a Japanese fusion restaurant with a new location in New York City owned by the Serafina Restaurant Group. ICRAVE, helmed by Lionel Ohayon, is an internationally-renowned design firm, based in New York City, with extensive experience creating interactive environments fueled by innovation and interaction. The new Geisha is slated to open this fall 2014 at 27 East 61st Street.

Serafina Restaurant Group was envisioned when its two owners, Vottorio Assaf and Fabio Granato, were stranded in a small sailboat at sea. As a result of severe hunger pains, the two men could only dream of creating the perfect pizza. This dream was soon fulfilled when the two men combined their knowledge for cuisine and architectural genius to create a brilliant partnership, resulting in numerous restaurants throughout New York, Brazil, Asia and the Middle East. Serafina’s restaurants are best known for their extra thin crust pizzas and house-made pastas. Stemming from their immense success, in 2003, the duo teamed up with Le Bernadin’s Eric Ripert to create the immensely popular Geisha.

This year, after closing the original Geisha location in order to move to a new location down the street, Serafina Restaurant Group selected ICRAVE to develop the design concept, a celebration of artisanal accents that compliment the intimate sushi bar and restaurant. The building’s uniquely narrow width inspired ICRAVE to design a two-story sequence of chambers that immerses patrons in an informal yet sophisticated dining space. Energy seamlessly flows between the sushi bar, dining rooms, lounge, and booth seating set across both floors. From the outside, passersby are drawn to the the uplit second story bar that offers a glimpse into the vibrant space while the striking red facade beckons them inward. Upon entering, Geisha comes alive with intimate dining areas and a soft accent glow that plays with reflection in order to extend the space visually.

The cuisine is all about quality and uniqueness as each dish is created with a high level of execution, working with an Asian palette of flavors and classic French techniques. The sensuous menu crosses over into new culinary horizons with a selection of sushi, refined versions of classic izakaya dishes, and daily additions. There’s also a fresh range of new and traditional forms of sushi and sashimi. A few specific menu items include Hamachi and Bluefin Patchwork, Magret Duck, Grade A5 Japanese 100% Wagyu Kobe Beef along with Rack of Lamb and Roasted Lobster. While looking through the menu, guests are also encouraged to enjoy a drink from Geisha’s list of sakes, original cocktails, and Japanese beers. For more information please visit www.geisharestaurant.com

About ICRAVE
ICRAVE is an experiential design studio based in New York City that reimagines built and digital environments for brands, choreographing memorable experiences that foster curiosity, imagination and lasting emotional connections. Helmed by Lionel Ohayon since 2002, ICRAVE has worked with Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups on award-winning projects across the globe. For more information please visit www.icrave.com and find them on Facebook and Twitter.

About Serafina Restaurant Group.
Serafina Restaurant Group was founded by Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato. In 1995, they launched the highly acclaimed Serafina Fabulous Pizza. Following the success of their first location, they went on to open Serafina Fabulous Grill, Serafina Osteria, Serafina Broadway and Serafina at The Time Hotel. Serafina recently opened a new restaurant in East Hampton and is planning to open restaurants in Philadelphia, New York and Sao Paolo, Brazil. For more information please visit www.serafinarestaurant.com and find them on Facebook and Twitter.