Mario Batali's New Restaurant Highlights Tile Ties to Italy

For his newest restaurant in Boston—Batali’s Babbo Pizzeria, which opened in April—celebrity chef Mario Batali partnered with Daltile and Imagine Tile to create unique designs inspired by the Mediterranean.

Imagine Tile worked with Batali’s team, led by Lisa Eaton in conjunction with David McMahon and McMahon architects, to create five custom tile designs to be used throughout the space, incorporating floral-like patterns in warm hues to blend into the Italian-themed décor. Each of the 8- by 8-inch tiles (with the exception of the cream and red tiles, which are 6- by 6-inch) are used to visually separate the interior space.

The overall intended affect was to associate each tile to Italy’s rich landscape: Africa combines gold, orange, and brown hues to embody the country’s sandy beaches; Antique Floral contains a bold, vegetal design for the picturesque rose gardens; Trebol evokes the feeling of relaxation one experiences during an evening in the piazza; Avallon takes inspiration from Italy’s authentic pastas and breads; and Holy

Grail Field’s petite red circles in each corner are reminiscent of the look of terracotta pots against stucco homes.