Coastal chic and distinct Italian-Spanish flair abound at Hong Kong’s newest waterfront restaurant, Amelia
Coastal chic and distinct Italian-Spanish flair abound at Hong Kong’s newest waterfront restaurant, Amelia | 香港新開業的臨海餐廳Amelia，坐擁時尚海景和意大利及西班牙風情
Located more than 6,000 miles apart, the two locations of Amelia – the feted Michelin-starred European restaurant helmed by chef Paulo Airaudo on the edge of San Sebastián, Spain and its newly minted outpost in Hong Kong – have at least one thing in common: they both overlook each city’s most beautiful sea views.
“Amelia’s original location is coastal and in Hong Kong, you’ve probably got the most prime location for a restaurant,” says Madeleine Ashwin, interior designer at Slinc Design, who alongside founder Sue Loughry collaborated closely with Mitchel Squires’s team at architectural and design firm Mitchel Squires & Associates to conceive this highly anticipated Asian debut. Perched on the edge of shopping complex Harbour City and right on the waterfront, the stunning 130-seat space is wrapped by iconic vistas of Victoria Harbour and is just a few steps from Tsim Sha Tsui’s Star Ferry pier.
Taking inspiration from the waters and from chef Paulo’s penchant for interaction (“He’s so passionate about his food and loves to come out to talk to the guests,” says Mitchel), the designers have reimagined the original Amelia’s 20-seat intimate sensibility and humble earthy materials with a distinctly open, fluid and inviting twist. Full-height glass doors lead
坐落於西班牙聖賽巴斯坦的米芝連星級歐洲餐廳Amelia由名廚Paulo Airaudo主理，她跟香港全新開幕的同名酒店雖然相隔六千多里，但卻有著同一個共通點：兩者也坐擁兩城最壯麗的海景。
Slinc Design室內設計師Madeleine Ashwin表示：「Amelia原址位於岸邊，就香港而言，靠岸大概都是優越地段。」她跟公司創辦人Sue Loughry與建築和設計時務所Mitchel Squires & Associates的Mitchel Squires團隊緊密合作，構思這令人引頸期盼的亞洲新址。新餐廳落戶於海港城購物中心的邊上，偌大的海旁空間能容納130個座位，被最具標誌性的維多利亞港環繞，距離尖沙咀天星碼頭只數步之遙。
設計師從維港和大廚Airaudo愛互動的個性中攝取靈感(Mitchel指大廚對食物充滿熱情，總喜歡走出廚房跟客人聊天)，以極開放、流動而引人的變化重新想像Amelia原店只能坐20人的親密感覺，還有實而不華的建材。寬闊的落地玻璃門把室外空間引入用餐區，中間放了一張大型核桃木餐桌、酒箱、餐館椅子、大量綠色植物和酒吧；空間正中央放了最先進的開放式廚房，向外正對著藝術家Elsa Jean de Dieu的亞麻布畫作，畫板可作圍板
from the alfresco terrace into an expansive communal-style dining area outfitted with large walnut wood dining tables, wine crates, bistro chairs, abundant potted greenery and a bar.
A state-of-the-art open kitchen looks out towards pivoting panels of artist Elsa Jean de Dieu’s linen paintings that are able to section off a semi-private space if required. These features diffuse any stark barriers between the outdoors and the indoors, as well as within the restaurant itself, creating a fluidity and flexibility that “immediately evokes a friendly atmosphere”, says Madeleine.
Over on the opposite end, a strikingly curvy front facade designed in zig-zag terracotta cobogó tiles previews the lush materiality within. “We wanted to bring that same European-Italian element from the menu into that beautiful terracotta colour and create a new Amelia,” says Mitchel. Meticulously conceived details such as the soft architectural arches, uneven concrete walls, natural dark timber furniture, and graphic and terrazzo tiled flooring – which inspired the silhouettes of Elsa’s centrepiece, the hand-painted acrylic koi fish towering over the space on the dining room ceiling – transform this restaurant into a contemporary and cosy social haven.
Here, guests can enjoy two of Amelia San Sebastian’s signatures: the homemade bread and butter with bone marrow, and the caviar and rum ice cream, alongside new seasonal creations. They’ll enjoy these and more under the ample natural sunlight that streams through and warms the interiors on a clear day, or in the evening, when the restaurant is evocatively lit and the city’s dazzling skyline lights up right in front of diners.//轉動，適時間隔出半私人空間。這些特徵消除了室內外空間的阻隔，營造出既可自然流動又具彈性、予人Madeleine表示的「友善親切氣氛」。
空間另一端的玲瓏外牆由曲折的赤陶土鏤空磚砌成，預示了內藏的奢華物料。Mitchel表示：「我們希望把餐牌中的歐洲意大利元素帶進赤陶土漂亮的色彩中，創造一間全新Amelia。」精心設計的細節，如柔和的建築特色：圓拱、凹凸不平的水泥牆、天然木色的木製傢具、平面設計和水磨石地板——啟發了Else手繪，放於正中心的塑膠彩錦鯉魚，高懸於天花之上——把空間轉換成當代而愜意的社交好去處。
在這裡，食客可以在充沛的自然光和暖意下，又或是在晚上置身醉人燭光和城市的華燈之中，享用Amelia聖賽巴斯坦的招牌菜色：自家製麵包和牛油，還有牛骨髓、魚子醬和 酒雪糕，當然還少不了季節性的新創菜色，讓客人在迷人的景色和設計下品味多款佳餚。//