Carna Baha Mar
Meyer Davis turned the outdated and complicated existing structure of Carna Baha Mar into a tasteful aesthetic focusing each design element on the cuisine in Nassau.
The launch of Carna last year marked the opening of celebrity butcher Dario Cecchini’s first dining concept in North America. From the village of Panzano in the Chianti region of Tuscany, Cecchini took over the family business from his father in 1976, and has since made it his mission to protect the art of butchery.
When tasked with designing Carna, Meyer Davis first received a menu. Before introductions were made or plans were drawn, it was clear that food would be the most important part of this endeavor.
The butcher’s block is on full display upon entry to the restaurant; in fact, the host was moved out into the hallway so that the first face you see when you walk inside is the butcher himself. Behind are three bespoke meat cases (with glass drawers below), exhibiting cuts of meat displayed like fine jewelry. Flanked on either side by spices, cooking oils, and other instruments, this space showcases butchering in real time. The entire display is clad in charred wood and boasts an altar-like cutting block crafted from end grain wood. The curved back wall is mirrored on the opposing side where the main dining space is grounded by deep green tiles and a banquette that responds to the curves of the wall.
From above hangs a sparkling brass chandelier composed of shell-like fiberglass shades; a custom uncorking station is centered beneath it. Beside this zone lives the bar, where an uplit antique mirror glistens above a Fior de Pesco marble top. The bar front boasts cow hide panels, wine-colored custom barstools, and glass globes that hang above with hardware mimicking that of a butcher’s meat hook. Across this bar is a wine room for diners to watch the sommelier as he climbs a ladder to retrieve their bottle.
Design: Meyer Davis
Photography: Read McKendree
