Oakland-based restaurateur Chris Pastena, famed for his involvement with Chop Bar and Lungomare, recently launched Calavera, a new Mexican restaurant located in a restored Julia Morgan building within Oakland’s uptown mixed-use facility The Hive, this summer. Pastena partnered with restaurateurs Michael Iglesias and Jessica Sackler, as well as architecture and interior design firm Arcsine, to bring the 4,000-square-foot restaurant and bar concept to life.
The name Calavera, or “skull,” is a nod to both traditional Mexican art and the restaurateurs’ thoughtful celebration of Mexico’s rich culinary landscape. In order to create a refined, but unpretentious atmosphere, the design concept features regional materials and unexpected geometric forms that take a contemporary stance on old world style. Arcsine and the Calavera team embraced the building’s existing brick walls and concrete floors to evoke a sense of authenticity, and paired it with refined, Oaxacan-themed elements such as agave inked table tops, handcrafted light fixtures and curated artwork Oaxacan artists.
The authentic material palette extends to the bar, a focal point that houses the most extensive selection of tequila and mezcals in the Bay area on a series of custom geometric boxes as shelving. Capitalizing on the 18-foot ceiling, Arcsine replicated a motif from the Labna Mayan ruins across the back of the bar, accenting the massive weathered wood bar back and patterned leather bar top paired with colorful wood tiles on the bar face. Additional seating is available beyond oversized glass doors leading to the outdoor dining patio illuminated by strung lights for a refreshing alfresco experience.
