The Star of the North: Mara’s Mediterranean Inspiration

Since Mara opened at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis in June 2022, many people have tasted the thoughtful, innovative Mediterranean food prepared by Chef and Restaurateur Gavin Kaysen, Executive Chef Martín Morelli, Chef de Cuisine Thony Yang, Executive Pastry Chef Eddy Dhenin and their talented culinary team.  

But if you look around between bites of lamb tartare or salt-baked branzino, you’ll notice what’s happening in the Mara space is as deliberate and artful as what’s happening on the plate. Design firm AvroKO fused the restaurant's Mediterranean inspiration with the imprint of Minnesota mills, creating a restaurant that blends past and present, combines far-flung locations with a close-to-home vibe and fuses function with luxury.

"La Fabrica"

When creating Mara, the term la fabrica served as a guidepost. Translating to “the factory” in Italian, this expression illustrates the legacy of Minnesota flour mills wrapped in an Italian framework. The result combines local craftsmanship with the Mediterranean coast and countryside, honouring both Minnesota’s story and cherished Mediterranean traditions such as the olive harvest.

Architecture

At Mara Bar, the team crafts perfect pairings in the form of signature cocktails with Mediterranean-infused spirits and flavours. Above the bartenders, a custom milk glass chandelier provides the spotlight. Behind them, the bar is backed with a wall of hand-leafed gold cylinders, mirroring the shape of grain silos. In the dining room, those same hand-leafed gold canisters are situated behind raised Hollywood banquettes.

Cylinders are also reflected throughout the room via well-placed curved details, such as the ornate brass arches separating the bar from the lounge and restaurant. Exposed screws, bolts and rivets — like those seen on the sconces above the banquettes — give a nod to our city’s industrial roots, while white marble and wood tabletops soften the space.

Art

Mara’s one-of-a-kind artwork is heavily focused on textiles, with many of the pieces rooted in Minnesota and commissioned especially for the restaurant and bar. Positioned in the entry lounge area, Minneapolis-based Moira Bateman’s work features silks soaked in and stained by local rivers, lakes and bogs. Local artist Joan Kloiber’s custom textile piece, hanging above a dining room banquette, mimics lichen and tree bark, bringing a dose of nature into the space, while Minnesota-based Emily Donovan created a hand-dyed piece for the private dining room inspired by her family’s farmland.

Colour + Craft

While offering vastly different vibes, Mara's bar and dining room bring a dose of Mediterranean energy through their respective colour palettes. The dark amber and gold bar area sets a deep and moody tone, perfect for settling in and ordering another drink, while the restaurant is lighter and airier.

The idea of dining under olive trees connects the two rooms, with a tree branch-inspired chandelier stretching across the ceiling of the bar and olive-green glass pendant lights — inspired by Italian Murano glass shades — hanging in the dining room. Trees sit in planters at the caps of the custom-made central banquette. On the ceiling, wood coffers give the sensation of sitting under a wooden trellis, while custom mounted table lamps add a glow at eye level.

In a corner of the dining room, the fireplace is decked with a bronze metal flue and hand-painted tiles sourced from Italy. In front, a round bronze mirror dining table, with a custom inset reminiscent of a mossy landscape, transports guests to the Italian terrain. Mediterranean-inspired mosaic tile illustrations — depicting olive branches and a red scorpionfish — adorn many guest-facing items, including menus, coasters and check presenters.

Fashion + Function

If you’re lucky enough to be seated at one of Mara’s two chef’s tables, you’ll not only have an up-close view of the culinary team at work — as well as the kitchen’s chic brass shelving, bronze hood and green marbled stone countertops — but you’ll be seated at works of art. Made by Minneapolis artist and third-generation craftsman Jason Holtz, the tables are crafted from locally sourced warm oak with a brass inlay, combining nature with an industrial vibe — much like the Twin Cities themselves.

Positioned next to the open kitchen, the private dining room features earthy wood floors, a green tone rug and curved metalwork, and offers seats for up to 12 guests at a custom-crafted table. Large glass sliding doors offer a welcoming entrance and a view of the kitchen from within. A more private setting is available courtesy of heavy drapes. A TV sits over a vintage credenza, providing guests A/V capabilities.

Wine + Chocolate

Mara’s well-curated wine list gets the royal treatment at a sommelier station. Here, the team selects wines from a floor-to-ceiling, temperature-controlled oak wine cabinet. They then decant and prepare bottles at the white marble service station, which doubles as a place to talk wine with guests.

Chocolate receives a similar white-glove treatment, with a temperature-controlled room helmed by Dhenin and team – the creators of all things chocolatey and delicious at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis.