Mokki Ritz Carlton Astana

— Description by Blacksheep —

Blacksheep, the London based F&B design specialist has worked with Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts to devise and deliver a vision for the design of the new Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Astana, Kazakhstan. Blacksheep developed a comprehensive food and beverage strategy for the whole hotel to create an aspirational luxury experience. Instrumental in bringing the concept to life is the creation of Mökki, a fresh new dining experience for the city.

Situated on the third floor of the hotel, Mökki offers a luxury dining experience over three bespoke environments for hotel guests and other visitors. For Blacksheep, the central concept was a celebration of longevity, simplicity and advocacy; three pillars, which have informed every aspect of the design, from the food offering, to brand, touch points and the wider interior design. Blacksheep oversaw the complete guest experience, from naming and branding the restaurant, through to the menu design and staff uniforms.

Set within the Talan Towers - a new mixed-use tower which includes offices, residential apartments and a luxury shopping mall - the Ritz-Carlton Astana sets a new luxury and lifestyle standard in this fast-growing city and provides a world-class destination for business and leisure travelers.

Mökki, celebrates the craft of food, while respecting both seasonality and locality. The interior space has been designed to encourage guests to ‘curate’ their meals through the zones and stations designed; it encourages grazing and sharing and an overall relaxed and intimate dining experience. The space has been designed to offer a series of ‘Craft Stations’ that include a Bakery, Deli and Grill.

The entrance to Mökki has been designed to create a sense of mystery and expectation with patinated brass walls. Wide Italian oak plank floors with brass inlay also add to the sense of scale and heighten the anticipation of the dining experience beyond. From here, Mökki unfolds as a multitude of experiences from inspiring Craft Stations to a series of ambient dining experiences.

The interior has been designed to create a relaxed and intimate dining room with continuity throughout, using rich Calacatta gold Italian marble, natural oak, brass detailing and a combination of suede, leather and velvet upholstery that visually elevate the interior environment and connect each of the spaces to form a coherent whole.