For Michelin-starred Carioca chef Raphael Rego, his new restaurant Oka Fogo is a candid home away from home. For his guests, it’s an open door to an authentic Brazilian culinary experience in Paris. The seductive venue, located on the ground floor of a beautiful Haussmann building in the city’s 17th arrondissement, has come to life following the vision of Tehrani-Parisian architect and designer Arnaud Behzadi.
Oka Fogo, Brazilian dining in Paris’ 17th arrondissement
A double helping of contrasting cultures (French and Brazilian) defines Oka Fogo, which houses two restaurant spaces. The first one, Oka, which translates as ‘house’ in the ancient Tupi language, offers a small, dinner-only space connected to the kitchen. The second one, Fogo, meaning ‘fire’, includes a more relaxed dining room and a grill and bar, open for lunch as well as dinner. For intimate occasions, there’s an alcove seating up to six guests, as well as a tasting room with more than 5,000 wine and champagne references.
It was imperative for Behzadi to translate the warmth and creative rhythms of Brazil while encapsulating the magic of the French capital. Signature chairs by Brazilian architect and designer Sergio Rodrigues feature in both rooms, while the ceiling of Oka and the walls of Fogo feature monumental frescoes by French artist Florence Bamberger, inspired by contemporary Brazilian artist and poet José Francisco Borgès.
Depictions of Brazilian wildlife, such as jaguars, anacondas, tamanoirs, capybaras, coati rouxes, toucans, and hyacinth macaws, intermingle in the ceiling of Oka. Meanwhile, the walls of Fogo boast a new rendition of Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe, 1863. Wall lights by French designer Cathy Crinon illuminate the contrast between the original building’s stone and its Jatoba wood façade.
