Pizzeria Alberico is newest collaboration between Denver’s Semple Brown Design and Colorado’s premier hospitality group Frasca Wine and Foods is a 1,700 square foot, restaurant located in Boulder, CO where ownership aimed to capture the “unique spirit of Naples and the rich history of Italian design paired with modern rigor.”

The restaurant’s materiality creates an authentic, textural feel, evoking the ancient pizzerias found intertwined in the back streets of Napoli. End grain wood floors, hand troweled plaster walls, stone tabletops, sumptuous leather seating and a zinc bar top blend to create an experience as much sensual as aesthetic. The timeless nature of the design is punctuated by a mixture of punchy colorful art and black and white photography featuring familiar Italian scenes and quirky imagery from a local curator.

Space was at a premium in this casual dining concept. To visually elongate the space, angles were used to break sight lines and create sequence. Patrons enter upon the host stand where the restaurant refrains from full reveal until stepping beyond. Banquette seating along the walls maximize seating while bar, cookline and outdoor seating provide variety of experience, lending to the liveliness of the compact space.

The bar anchors the front of the restaurant  with a service window that opens to the patio, allowing indoor/outdoor service and enhancing street activation. In the main dining room, plaster walls in warm grey are accentuated by blackened chrome downlight sconces that delineate space and create an ambience of intimacy. In contrast to the exposed ceilings, a 7’-6” bulkhead at the rear of the restaurant frames the cookline into a vignette, emphasizing the activity of the workers.

A private dining room off the entry provides additional seating when not rented for events. It boasts a separate street entry for enhanced privacy and convenience. The design of the space is distinct from the main dining room with warm white walls juxtaposed with walnut wood wainscoting and dark stained wooden baffles. 1”x1” mineral glazed bronze floor tile adds depth to the 198 square foot room’s floors. These elements necessarily lend a refined dose of character to an otherwise clean and modern space. The cumulative result is a modern homage to the craft and heritage of Neapolitan pizza and tradition.