Luzio is one of the great references in Barcelona interior design. Behind this firm of luxury decoration projects are María José Gómez Escuer and Maxi Zigart, who have developed their own aesthetic universe that has seduced the owners of dozens of private homes, restaurants, commercial establishments and several hotels. Quality, contemporaneity, exuberance, vintage look, colonial style, mix of new with old... are just some of the attributes that define Luzio and that captivate any lover of good taste who enters their concept store in Turó Park, on Ferran Agulló street.
In this store, complementary to the interior design studio, Luzio sells a very personal collection of decorative objects that allow giving the perfect touch to any corner of the house: you can find all kinds of furniture, sofas, tableware, lamps, vases, cushions, books or spectacular framed photographs by artists such as Pedro Mir.
Since 2015, inside Luzio's store in Turó Park there has also been a restaurant with Asian-inspired cuisine, Iluzione, decorated with a New Yorker design inspired by Brooklyn. Now, the owners of Luzio have decided to double down on their commitment to the gastronomy sector with the opening of a second restaurant in La Roca Village, which has just opened under the brand Corso Iluzione.
The establishment, with a large terrace, is located in the new Plaza de las Palmeras, in the recently opened extension of the shopping center, which opened to the public last April after an investment of 50 million euros. With capacity for 160 diners, Corso Iluzione stands out, obviously, for its careful decoration and for offering a suggestive menu that combines Italian food ---with handmade pasta as the main proposal and sourdough pizzas---, with an offer of hamburgers, paninis and pokes.
To take into account the cavatelli supercarbonara or the fettuccine al ragù if you opt for pasta. Also noteworthy are the classic parmegiana and the tagliata di pezzata rossa, without forgetting the freshly cut Bologna mortadella, the Ciabatta pannini with roasted peppers and tomatoes and fried eggplant with burrata cream, or the Dandy Cheesburger, made with organic beef and brioche bread. For dessert, the Nutella pizza roll is the star of the house, although there is also tiramisu or pannacotta.
"It's a restaurant that wants to adapt to all types of public visiting this great shopping destination," explains Maxi Zigart, who highlights the establishment's retro South Beach style decor. The restaurant is characterized by a large six-meter bar that allows guests to watch the kitchen work (showcooking) and display all kinds of Italian products. In addition, inside the restaurant there is also a shop to sell Luzio's most successful decorative pieces, along with gourmet products and tableware. "In Turó Park we say we have a restaurant inside the store and, in La Roca Village, it's the other way around: we have a store inside the restaurant," notes Zigart.
"The opening of Corso Iluzione in La Roca Village is a very important project for us; it's a dream we've had for years," explains Luzio's co-owner. According to the creative, the firm has been collaborating with La Roca for ten years, with the installation of temporary stores (pop-up store) and also through a successful food truck called El Dandy.
In this new gastronomic venture, Luzio has pizzaiolo Stefano Gallo, owner of the Da Giorgio pizzeria in Rubí, as a partner, with whom they have also created Favela Burger, which has two burger restaurants in Rubí and Sabadell.
As Zigart explained to The New Barcelona Post, the decoration of Corso Iluzione is inspired by Sicily, which is why a yellow lemon garden is recreated on the ceiling. It also emphasizes the large fringed lamps and the zig-zag tiles that cover the premises and are intended to evoke a wood-fired oven. Finally, restaurant visitors should notice a large bookcase cabinet that the owners of Luzio rescued from an old haberdashery and which has been installed as is in the premises, without restoration. "Mixing vintage objects with modern ones is our hallmark," recalls Zigart.
The expansion of La Roca Village has allowed this Barcelona outlet shopping complex to strengthen its gastronomic offerings and open 18 new boutiques from national and international brands, such as Adidas, American Vintage, Brunello Cucinelli, Ètnia Barcelona, Missoni, and Pronovias. In addition to Luzio's new restaurant, a Farggi 1957 café-ice cream parlor has also opened, and an underground parking lot with natural light has been enabled, increasing the number of available spaces by 850. Value Retail has invested 50 million euros in the project, which has led to the creation of 170 jobs.
La Roca Village is one of the eleven shopping complexes of The Bicester Village Shopping Collection and now has more than 140 fashion and high-end item stores that can be purchased with discounts of up to 60% off the original price.