MILLÓ is a minimalist restaurant by the Bucharest and Nice-based architecture and design studio AÉ02. Situated on the ground floor of an office building in central Bucharest, the space draws from the building’s Art Deco influences to create a restaurant that balances intimate dining with a more communal atmosphere. Geometric forms, clean lines, and luxe, reflective materials are paired with custom furnishings and artist-made lighting to distinguish spaces for dining, cocktails, conversation, and lounging without heavily relying on physical partitions. 

The restaurant is largely organized through the changing geometry of its ceilings, which help establish varying atmospheres throughout the space. Above the main dining area, the ceiling folds inward to create what designers Elena Viziteu and Anda Zota describe as a “volcano of light,” which draws attention to the center of the room and gives the large feasting table an almost ceremonial presence. Integrated lighting here also shifts in tone throughout the day, subtly changing the atmosphere around the table. The cocktail area takes a different approach, with the ceiling descending at a sharper angle to establish a more expansive and informal setting for drinks, conversation, and tastings. In this area, concealed LED strips trace the base of the sloping surfaces, emphasizing their geometry while allowing the ceiling to appear alternately solid and weightless.

As for materials, microcement and cast-in-place terrazzo form an abstract floor pattern derived from the rhythm of the façade, while terrazzo reappears across custom furnishings throughout the restaurant. The terrazzo tables were cast in situ and shaped according to the interior’s rounded geometries, including the large central dining table. In the cocktail area, a warm reddish table sits against high-gloss timber paneling, whose reflective surface captures shifting silhouettes and fragments of light. Stainless steel and richly veined Cherry Levanto marble give the bar a more graphic presence, with a DJ booth integrated into the same composition and concealed beneath a removable timber cover when not in use.

Stand-out lighting pieces also add to the interior: a lamp by Romanian artist Andrei Arion sits atop the cocktail table, functioning as both a source of light and a sculptural object, while pieces by Polish artist Piotr Drabowa are positioned above the sideboards and remain visible through the restaurant’s glazed frontage.

With the design of MILLÓ, AÉ02 reactivates the existing structure through sculptural ceiling forms, carefully controlled lighting, and a luxurious material palette that responds to the architecture of the pre-existing building. Bringing together architecture, custom furniture, and art-forward lighting, the studio creates a restaurant where distinct atmospheres encourage both communal gathering and more intimate moments of conversation.