Moio Restaurant

Brand identity for Moio, a modern European restaurant in East London. Founded by Portuguese chef João Ferreira Pinto and Swedish sommelier Carolina Seibel, Moio is named after a unit of measurement used for salt trade between the two countries until the early 1800s. Moio promises an unexpected food and wine sharing experience, visually compelling dishes, unusual pairings and delightful, surprising textures. To echo this philosophy, the visual identity features a typeface that also embodies oddities and contrast, combining round and sharp forms. Calligraphic and geometric at the same time, the font is, like the food, European in its roots – a hybrid of Latin and Germanic styles. The restaurant inherited a rustic feel; dark blue interiors, exposed brick, patterned tiles and brass fixtures. These elements are carried through the brand identity with the use of coloured card, a metallic copper foil and the use of materiality, for example a cork back cover for the wine list and a waxed bread paper bag. The identity heroes a monogram which is sprinkled throughout; on the chef's apron, machine etched into concrete cutlery holders and hand painted onto the shutters. The chef's play of combining surprising ingredients is brought to life through a series of unexpected pairings printed on matchboxes. A simple website heroing the visually compelling dishes accompanied the launch of the restaurant. Designed with Sateen Panagiotopoulou