azzurra
Azzurra is a new Italian seafood restaurant in Chelsea, inspired by the boat-to-table dining traditions of the Mediterranean coast. The goal was to create a warm, authentic coastal identity that matched the quality of the food and the relaxed sophistication of the space.
role
Designer
scope
Brand Development
Digital & Print Materials
The Challenge
When I joined the project, the restaurant already had a logo they liked, but the supporting brand elements were a blank slate.
The existing palette leaned into greens and turquoise, which felt cool and detached, not reflective of the sunny, welcoming Mediterranean dining experience.
The challenge was creating a visual world that communicated freshness, authenticity, and relaxed elegance without overpowering the food and atmosphere.
Strategy – anchoring the brand in place and experience
The approach was to design a brand system rooted in sensory cues from the Italian coastline:
Colour palette shift: Replacing greens/turquoise with Mediterranean azure blues and soft sandy neutrals, shades that evoke sea, sky, and beach.
Motifs & patterns: Incorporating subtle watercolours, lemon illustrations and delicate sea-inspired patterns for character and texture, without overwhelming the minimalist aesthetic.
Design philosophy: Keep layouts clean and restrained so the restaurant’s interior design and food photography could take the spotlight.
The whole approach was about letting the food and the space speak for themselves. Clean, simple layouts that put the gorgeous seafood and the restaurant's warm atmosphere front and centre. This thinking carried through everything, the website, the menus, all the little details you see when you're dining there.
