New Sachi Restaurant Makes Port at Marassi Marina

The lapping waters of the Marassi marina will soon be welcoming a new permanent resident, but not in the form one might expect, with the latest location of fine dining restaurant Sachi making port amidst the Mediterranean waters. Established by Baky Hospitality - the same masterminds behind Kazoku, Shinko, Lexie’s, Megumi and Reif Kushiyaki - Sachi began its story in 2014 in Heliopolis, before expanding to new branches around the country. As is ever the case with each of Sachi’s locations, the restaurant’s design reflects its immediate surroundings, and chief designer Mohamed Fares has made sure that this latest spot is no exception.

“We designed the first Sachi location around 10 years ago, and it’s been spreading to new locations ever since,” Fares, Founder of MFares & Associates and Co-Founder of Alchemy, tells SceneEats. “We created Sachi’s core architectural identity, but each restaurant also evolves to reflect the spirit of its environment.”

Take a look at the existing Sachi locations, and that evolution is clear; in Almaza, the restaurant oozes with an earthy aura, whilst in Park Street, it takes on a more refined character. Now that Sachi has travelled northwards to Marassi, its architecture has morphed to fit a new home.

“Sachi Marassi is located right in the marina’s waters, so its design is inspired by the sailboat skyline that surrounds it,” Fares explains. “The materials we have used are also an echo of the marina’s character, with wood being a central design theme of the new location.”

Restaurants’ architecture often draws criticism for detracting from the food itself, but Sachi’s kitchen-centric design is the antithesis to such comments. “Sachi is always about the culinary experience,” Fares emphasises. “The very first thing we built was the kitchen, with its long glass face open to the dining area. Combining the internal kitchen view with the external view across the water really brings the space to life.”

Whilst the new location certainly has its own unique character, it’s not all change at Sachi Marassi. “We took bits and pieces from each of the other restaurants,” says Fares. “The Verdi Alpi marble and warm terracotta colours remain, accompanied by the central red tree that has become Sachi’s hallmark.”

Whilst the menu for the new location remains a mystery, one can be sure to find a similar attitude of maintaining Sachi’s core culinary identity whilst adapting it to its new seaside home. Where better to tuck into fresh seafood than perched above the very waters from which it was caught.