Architectural bureau FOUR+ and interior architect Ilya Sazhin have completed the interior design of Sea You, a new restaurant located at 13 Cara Lazara Street in the heart of Belgrade.
The project is built around the feeling of a home by the sea—simple, slightly imperfect, filled with natural light, honest materials, and objects that seem to have been collected over many years.
Rather than relying on literal nautical imagery, the authors drew inspiration from the atmosphere of Mediterranean villages. Irregular plastered walls, warm timber, dried herbs, natural textures, and a restrained palette create a space where guests want to linger—from a morning coffee to lunch with friends or a long evening dinner.
“We didn’t want to create a restaurant with a marine theme. We wanted to recreate the feeling of a real home by the sea—a place where every object feels discovered rather than curated, and where the interior gradually reveals itself to each visitor,” says Ilya Sazhin.
The restaurant unfolds as a sequence of distinct atmospheres. From the street, passersby are greeted by a floating installation of jellyfish gently moving in the air. The central dining room is defined by timber structures adorned with hanging herbs, while the rear of the restaurant offers a more intimate setting beneath large handcrafted macramé pendant lights. A carefully designed lighting scheme preserves the warmth of southern sunlight even after dusk.
The children's playroom continues the project’s overall narrative. Here, the atmosphere shifts to a small fish market somewhere between a beach and a seaside taverna, with wooden market stalls, marine textures, and a rich variety of tactile elements. Despite its compact size, the room accommodates multiple play scenarios—from imaginative market games to creative activities and small workshops. The custom furniture was produced by Danube based on FOUR+’s design, while all materials were selected for their ecological qualities and tactile appeal. The textile toys were handmade exclusively for this space.
“We wanted the playroom to feel like a natural continuation of the restaurant rather than a separate world. If the main dining area is a house by the sea, then the children’s space becomes the little street beside it—a place to invent stories, explore, play, and imagine,” says Anna Rodionova, partner at FOUR+.
One of the defining features of the project is its subtle dialogue between a restaurant and a gallery. Throughout the interior, illuminated niches display ceramics, glass, and handcrafted objects that become an integral part of the spatial experience. Rather than dominating the design, these pieces invite visitors to discover the space gradually, turning every visit into a small journey of exploration.
