Story
Concept & Design
Bambola is a cocktail bar and restaurant that explores the shared cultural heritage that spans from Asia to Europe.
As imagined through the travels of a bon vivant and connoisseur, Bambola offers an aesthetic and culinary journey for the senses, an expedition to the East that weaves through the diverse tapestry stretching from Italy to China. Bambola is inspired by the rich traditions, ancestral techniques, exciting products and flavorsome spices widely exchanged and mastered by Eastern and Western cultures since the 13th century. One city, Istanbul — as a historic gateway between East and West, Asia and Europe — is our touchstone due to its peerless mix of influences and cultures, textiles and objects, highly decorative details, and a culture of hospitality.
The award-winning beverage team, led by industry vanguard Brian Sturgulewski, celebrates modern beverages inspired by timeless ingredients shared along the Silk Road. Inspired by the amalgamation of cultures along the trade routes, we combine local drinking traditions, global spirits, complementary spices and ingredients to create. Non-alcoholic drinks have been a mainstay of the beverage program since day one, with spirit-free cocktails that share the same flavorful, colorful and fun originality as our spirit-friendly creations.
Bambola’s wine list, transports you to some of the most exciting regions of the planet through the lens of our favorite iconoclastic & natural winemakers of the moment. We aim to tell these winemakers’ stories while gently urging you to explore regions and styles that fall outside of “typical wine” parameters. We believe these ancient techniques and wine styles incites the adventurer in all of us.
Bonhomme Group’s Michelin-starred Executive Chef Marcos Campos, Executive Pastry Chef Shannah Primiano and Culinary Director Erwin Mallet travel along the Silk Road to seek out the culinary through lines in the shared multicultural heritage of Asia and Europe. As we journey from East to West and West to East, Turkish, Persian and Indian cuisines play a central role in Bambola’s menu as these three countries dominate the center of the Silk Road. Adding complexity and showmanship to our dishes are the oft-celebrated, internationally recognized cuisines of Italy, China, Malaysia, Thailand and Greece.
Bambola’s rare, imaginative and jaw-droppingly diverse array of artistic elements is a testament to the crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations. Bambola is filled with Italy’s finest textiles, furniture by some of the most exciting designers of the 20th and 21st centuries, and Popham Design’s dramatic handmade cement tiles juxtaposed with museum-quality 18th and 19th century antiquities and rare furnishings collected from China, Thailand, Burma, Pakistan and India in collaboration with Doug Van Tress and Chauwarin Tuntisak of The Golden Triangle. Bambola is warmly illuminated with one-of-a-kind chandeliers from the masters of hand-blown glass in Milan and Venice to elevate the standard for restaurant lighting.
To bring Bambola’s colorful, collaged vision to life, Maison Bonhomme collaborated closely with an incredible design team starring Luca Lanzetta Group, Popham Design, Molteni&Co, Viabizzuno, Sogni Di Cristallo, Viccarbe and Antoniolupi. Some of the most dazzling design elements of their extravagantly appointed interiors include handmade cement and zellige tiles by Popham Design; a 40’ dining table by Foster + Partners; handblown glass chandeliers & lamps by Sogni Di Cristallo; dining chairs and cocktail tables by Rodolfo Dordoni; sofas by Yabu Pushelberg; dining tables and chairs by Patricia Urquiola; handmade “Beni” rugs by Soufiane Zarib; and bathroom vanities and taps by Antoniolupi.