Interior design studio and creative consultancy Ste Marie has completed Olia Ristorante and Mimi Bar, a pair of hospitality venues conceived as a day-to-night sequence at the base of new residential tower Citizen on Jasper. Commissioned by Corso 32 Group and chef Daniel Costa, the project transforms the building’s ground floor into a social threshold — part residents’ club, part neighbourhood address — with separate entrances for the public and a discreet internal connection for those who live above.
The idea is simple: “different rooms for different hours.” Morning espresso gives way to long lunches, and dinner drifts into late-night drinks. Rather than a single all-purpose restaurant, Ste Marie has shaped a progression of atmospheres allowing the spaces to shift naturally as the day unfolds.
Olia sets the tone with a menu rooted in Italian culinary tradition. Conceived for extended evenings, the interior balances polish with warmth. Portuguese walnut tables and ecru leather banquettes sit alongside creamy marble and high-gloss cabinetry in tawny hues, all orbiting a backlit fluted glass bar that casts a gentle glow across the room.
Light plays an important role as by day, it filters through sheer drapery, and by night, settles into a soft yellow wash that deepens the ambience. Sculptural fittings and custom artworks add pops of colour and punctuation, guiding the space from daytime sociability to evening calm.
As the hour advances, Mimi takes over. Here, the palette darkens and the energy lifts. Deep browns, lacquered reds, amber tones and Rosso Rubino marble meet chrome detailing and burnt orange velvet sofas reminiscent of 1960s conversation pits. Burled walnut panels line the room, giving it a cinematic edge that nods to Italo disco and cult film culture.
A series of capsule pendants casts a consistent low light, while an L-Acoustics sound system delivers vintage soul, jazz and deep disco, occasionally with Chef Costa behind the decks. Cocktails and small plates carry on late, allowing Mimi to operate as lounge, performance space and after-hours bar within the same footprint.
Together, Olia and Mimi are a design-led duo you’re going to want to get to know.
@olia_ristorante
@mimibar_yeg
@stemariestudio
@danielc0sta
Olia Ristorante and Mimi Bar Edmonton Photography, Conrad Brown courtesy v2com.
