Restaurant in Jardins that was born with an expiration date brings together antique furniture, Parisian fabrics, pieces sourced from auctions and antique shops, and an expedition tent atmosphere
Submitted at Oct 3, 2026, 10:00 AM
(Divulgação/CASACOR)
The Jardins neighborhood in São Paulo has gained a new restaurant festif. This French concept, which combines gastronomy, cocktail-making, music, and entertainment in a single experience, is being consolidated at one address: Maison Dodoma, a restaurant that approaches the celebratory atmosphere of a club, without giving up the dining experience.
Opened earlier this year in a property on Alameda Lorena, almost at the corner of Consolação, the party at Dodoma already has an end time: the space will be demolished at the end of 2026 and will give way, next year, to a real estate project that will redesign half a block between Lorena and Oscar Freire. The ephemerality, however, was planned from the beginning – and is embedded in the architecture itself.
(Divulgação/CASACOR)
Behind this concept is Fernando Tchalian, entrepreneur, founder of Capodarte, and self-taught designer, who personally took on the aesthetic conception of the venue. “I based the entire concept of Maison Dodoma on this ephemerality,” he says. The reference came from studies on the expeditions of royal and noble families who, between the 18th and 19th centuries, traveled long distances accompanied by spacious and luxurious tents, which served as temporary lodging in foreign lands. The idea was to recreate, in the middle of São Paulo, this provisional architecture loaded with fantasy.
(Divulgação/CASACOR)
Instead of remodeling the walls, Fernando decided to line them with patterned fabrics. The research for animal patterns led to zebra prints and, consequently, to Tanzania – the country with the largest zebra population in the world. The capital, Dodoma, gave the restaurant its name and helped define its imagery. The architecture, developed with the participation of Atelier REUD in collaboration with Adriano Mariutti, started from this reference to compose the entire atmosphere there.
(Divulgação/CASACOR)
Even before reaching the table, the visitor finds a setting filled with antique furniture, artworks, fabrics, lamps, and objects spanning different eras. Antique furniture was restored and received fabrics found by Fernando on his travels, including pieces from Parisian antique fairs. Table lamps and sconces received silk fringes, while cushions and upholstery were redesigned based on his own drawings.
(Divulgação/CASACOR)
For this, Fernando spent eight months on a kind of treasure hunt. He spent late nights following online auctions, went through antique shops, and gathered furniture, lamps, rugs, and objects to compose the restaurant. Instead of acquiring new pieces, he preferred to work with those that already carried a story. The rule was not to buy anything new. “There isn’t an object here that I haven’t laid a finger on,” summarizes Fernando — he even chose the glasses at the bar. “The hardest part is buying so many things and making it all come together,” he admits.
(Divulgação/CASACOR)
Some objects naturally take on the role of protagonists. The Carrara marble sculpture is the most monumental case: formed by blocks of stone and representing wild animals, the late 19th-century Italian piece required not only a special operation to be transported, but also a concrete structure capable of supporting it to receive it in the dining room.
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Other finds work in a less monumental way. A large Chinese porcelain vase was bolted to the wall to create the illusion that it floats. An old tea cart was transformed into a bar and, later, into a mobile table for preparing steak tartare in front of customers. Church candleholders were given a new function as candlesticks. In the women’s restroom, a door handle takes the shape of an octopus tentacle; in the men’s, a reproduction of a letter attributed to Dom Pedro II adds another historical layer to the journey.
(Divulgação/CASACOR)
The atmosphere also unfolds in the very organization of the restaurant. The project, which can be perceived as a "livable collection," brings together terrace, counter, and main hall, divided between Bistro and Dining Room, while Petite Dodoma operates as a more reserved club, with a dance floor, tables, and a schedule of performances and DJs. The proposal is precisely to make gastronomy, music, and entertainment come together as a single experience. Under the leadership of partners Fernando Tchalian, Sergio K., responsible for the artistic and musical curation, and chef Thiago Tatini, Maison Dodoma was conceived to be lived — and, precisely because of its ephemeral nature, also to be remembered.
Where: Alameda Lorena, 1899, Jardins, São Paulo
Bar and restaurant: Wednesday to Saturday, from 7 pm to 2 am
Club Petite: Friday and Saturday, from 11 pm to 4 am
Reservations and events: +55 (11) 94587-5629
