The Italian MATTO restaurant in Shanghai

Located in Pudong , Shanghai, the MATTO restaurant has brought the delicious flavor of true Italian pizza to China. It was a project by Yenn Wong, the entrepreneur and mastermind behind the JIA Boutique Hotels. The restaurant was opened in May 2012 and has been a big success. Only three months after tis opening, it received the culinary honor of ‘Shanghai’s Best Pizza’ in the 2012 Food & Drink Awards.

The restaurant brings not only the flavor but also the architectural beauty of Italy. Inside it features a custom-designed pizza oven imported from Naples. The oven was hand0built on site. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. In order to be able to recreate the passion and the true flavor of Italian pizza you need to be in an environment that recreates the atmosphere as well and you need to use authentic tools. The restaurant has an internal space of 253 square meters and it incorporated two large terraces.

The style chosen for the restaurant is eclectic but with a modern look. The architecture is not purely Italian. However, the architects managed to recreate the same atmosphere and beauty without overwhelming the people of Shanghai with obvious Italian features. The interior of the restaurant is a mix of industrial materials with organic shapes and rustic details. The team used materials such as natural wood, concrete for the walls, travertine from Italy, iron and metal.