No one can accuse Michelin-starred chef Raphael Rego of a lack of ambition; what began in 2014 as a pocket restaurant in the 9th arrondissement of Paris was soon replaced by a larger establishment on the Left Bank, earning Rego his first Michelin star five years later. Not one to rest on his laurels, Rego is once again on the move with the opening this past January of not one, but two adjoining restaurants on the ground floor of a beautiful Haussmann building in the 17th arrondissement: the intimate, high-end OKA and the more relaxed, bistro-like FOGO. Designed by Tehran-born, Paris-based architect Arnaud Behzadi, the double venue reflects the chef's Franco-Brazilian cuisine with a soulful palette of richly toned woods and highly textured marbles, favoured materials often used by Brazil's prolific mid-century designers. Handcrafted details and vintage furnishings further underscore the chef's Brazilian heritage, while two joyous murals by artist Florence Bamberger tie it together with his new Parisian address.

Separated by a shared kitchen, each of the two restaurants has a distinct character. OKA, which translates as ‘house’ in Tupi-Guarani, an ancient language once spoken in Rego's hometown of Rio de Janeiro, is an intimate, dinner-only space with just 16 covers, where guests embark on a gastronomic journey along two great Brazilian rivers with the seven-course "Amazonia" and five-course "Paraná" tasting menus. FOGO, meaning ‘fire’, is a more relaxed, 40-seat dining room with an adjoining bar and grill, open for lunch and dinner serving a soulful menu of fire-grilled dishes in the spirit of Brazil’s herdsmen, or gauchos. For intimate occasions, there is also an alcove seating up to six guests, as well as a cellar-like tasting room with more than 5,000 wine and champagne references.

Behzadi’s skillful partnering of exotic woods and luxurious stones begins with the double venue’s facade, where panels of Jatoba wood from the Amazon sit above a plinth of striated Iranian marble. The warm hues of wood extend throughout the interiors of both restaurants, seen in wall paneling and built-in furnishings, which are beautifully complemented by white travertine and green-toned marble. The addition of rattan cane, brown leather and plush fabrics further enriches the texture of the design, while chairs by the late Brazilian designer Sergio Rodrigues infuse the space with an essence of Brazilian modernism.

Drawing inspiration from the folksy woodblock prints of Brazilian artist José Francisco Borgès and the flowing brushwork of Cocteau, Picasso and Matisse, the two murals that Florence Bamberger created for OKA and FOGO joyfully illustrate where France and Brazil meet in Rego’s culinary world. In FOGO, "Déjeuner au jardin de Fogo" is an imaginative take on Manet’s famous Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe, its protagonists languorously enjoying braised delicacies by the fire amid a blooming natural setting. Next door, the whirlwind of abstract figures that Bamberger has painted on OKA’s ceiling playfully encapsulate the restaurant’s creative fusion of flavors and cuisines with a giant anaconda in the middle protecting the chef's secrets.