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When Mario Pinto’s retail boutique closed next door to Sepia, the acclaimed West Loop joint decided to take a chance. Though the restaurant has hosted private events, it had always been limited by its relatively small dining room. So Sepia purchased the space, redesigned it, and has now opened Private Dining by Sepia. The event space was showcased to the public last night, and we were able to sneak in to take a look inside.

Unlike Sepia, the private space is sleek and open. We were immediately drawn to the series of spiky chandeliers, which are reflected by an enormous mirror on the back wall. We were told that more art would eventually be added, but that they wanted the room to remain something of a blank canvas for people to add their own style to each event.

Though we had a look at the menu last week, we were finally able to see up close what kind of food executive chef Andrew Zimmerman would showcase. He's a master of charcuterie, so it was no surprise that there was a whole range of cured meats to admire. Check out our full slideshow below to see what other creations he cooked up last night.