Mita’s, named after Chef Jose Salazar’s Columbian grandmother, his “Mita,” is a 130-seat restaurant in downtown Cincinnati’s recently completed 84.51 building showcasing a combination of old and new world Spanish and Latin American cuisine and aesthetics.

The building’s concrete shell with 25-foot windows is a stark contrast to its warm, eclectic interior featuring Moorish patterns, reclaimed wood, intricate patterns, and luxurious fabrics. Strategically designed screens and custom millwork create a variety of seating areas and styles, supporting the space’s eclectic intent. A Moorish patterned screen created by the MSA design team was custom built in Portugal and provides an intimate level of privacy at the dining level while gradually increasing in openness as the screen continues upward. The building’s structural concrete columns anchor curvilinear, floating banquettes housed in opulent woods, and lush Moroccan blue and saffron-toned fabrics. Inspired by 19th Century Moroccan lanterns, the lighting design features hand-polished crystals, traditional cast brass, small amber beads and perforated, Moorish patterned metal. The reclaimed oak wood floor was sourced in the US from carefully dismantled early 19th century barns, warehouses and boxcars and custom-designed Moorish patterned tile work embellishes the street-side and private dining room concrete columns. A unique and striking bar display creates an intriguing juxtaposition between the rich, curvilinear wood and glossy tiles and the industrial polished concrete bar tops. The space is anchored by an open display kitchen where Moorish tile and warm wood tones provide a homelike back-drop for Jose and his team to show off their talents.