Here are the most anticipated hotel restaurants that have opened within the last year that showcase the allure of hotel dining thanks to innovative cuisine, stunning design, and dreamy ambiences.
Vita at Rock House – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (pictured)
Vita, the signature restaurant at Rock House, a boutique luxury hotel that opened in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos last May, brings unexpected Amalfi Coast cuisine to the Caribbean. The restaurant is tucked into the cliffside and perched 30 feet above the sea, showcasing panoramic views of the island’s renowned turquoise waters and boasting natural stone walls, which were built by hand by local artisans with limestone excavated during the hotel’s construction. Conceptualized by Chef Dennis Boon, Vita’s menu features authentic Italian dishes with a hint of island flair, from slow-cooked octopus and vitello tonato to lemon spaghetti with Caribbean lobster. Vita also offers craft cocktails and an exceptional wine list primarily featuring Old World wines that complement that restaurant’s Mediterranean atmosphere. For a special moment, guests can also arrange private dinners on the 130-foot jetty surrounded by the sparkling sea.
UMI Rooftop + Tokyo Kitchen at Thompson Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen, Mexico
UMI Rooftop + Tokyo Kitchen, a new Japanese Izakaya-style restaurant by Chef Román Osamu, opened its doors at Thompson Playa del Carmen on December 6th. Inspired by the North Pacific Ocean, this gastronomic experience envelops your senses in Asian flavors through its local, seafood-based menu. UMI offers views of the Caribbean Sea to complement its dishes, ranging from sashimis, makis, and nigiris to grilled octopus and salmon teriyaki. The venue immerses guests in a multi-sensory experience through its cuisine, atmosphere, and service, transporting diners to Japan in the midst of Eastern Mexico. DJs and live performers with curated playlists create a lively ambiance contrasted with the serene aesthetic that pair perfectly with UMI’s sake, beer, and cocktails.
Al Pairo + Mako at Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos
Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos (Solaz) re-opened its doors this month to guests after renovation and upgrades. The “Beverly Hills” of Mexico, Los Cabos is seeing a huge uptick and increase in travelers. Perfect timing for Solaz, an oceanfront property with stunning views of the Sea of Cortez and the Baja desert which offers easy access to an expansive list of adventures and expeditions that allow guests to free their minds and live in the moment. The resort features seven distinct on-site restaurants inspired by the local gastronomy. Chef Martín Arellano’s Al Pairo offers contemporary dishes that draw global influences and are brought to life using fresh, locally sourced, and sustainable ingredients from Baja. Mako is a culinary experience unlike any other and features dry-aged steaks, local live lobsters, and the sea's freshest fish. Solaz’s additional restaurants include La Cava, Cascabel, Foresta, Riccio di Mare, and Mako Beach.
Jalao NYC at Radio Hotel – New York, NY Jalao NYC opened at Radio Hotel, Washington Heights’ first-ever full-service boutique hotel in August 2022. Led by the internationally recognized contemporary Latin restaurant group, Richard Sandoval Hospitality, Jalao NYC is part of the Orgullo Dominicano, and pays homage to its predecessor, Jalao Santo Domingo, which has been serving traditional Dominican food with a modern twist in La Zona Colonial since 2016. The menu includes popular items from the flagship location in addition to dishes made exclusively for the New York market, with fresh, local ingredients and nuanced flavors celebrated within the Dominican community. Highlights of the main menu include signature dishes such as Pecao’ Frito (boca chica style deep-fried red snapper), Chuleta Cancan (pork tomahawk), Paila Jalao (a palomilla onion-steak with crispy pork belly and longaniza-sausage) and the Mofongo Mar y Tierra (the ultimate Dominican Surf and Turf of shrimp and crispy pork belly with garlic mojo and option for lobster enhancement).
AperiBar, LUMA Hotel Times Square 120 W 41st St, New York, NY 10036
Charlie Palmer’s newest NYC dining concept, AperiBar – set at LUMA Hotel Times Square – caters to a shift toward a European way of eating: small bites, sharing, lingering at the table over wine or an aperitif. The expertly crafted wine list with 100% Italian varietals – including 23 different Proseccos and Italian sparkling wines (rare to find!) – shine a new light on how incredibly high-quality these varietals can be. With freshly extruded pasta (coveted in the pasta world!) via Acobaleno, the menu incorporates ingredients presenting the very best Italy has to offer, from Caputo flour to imported buffalo mozzarella and olive oil, while particularly elevating elevated the pizza scene in Times Square.
Tanah Liat – Bali, Indonesia
Travelers staying at the new Marriott’s Bali Nusa Dua Terrace (opened Nov. 2022) can enjoy an immersive arts-and-crafts-inspired meal at Tanah Liat, one of six new culinary outlets at co-located five-star Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua resort. A pottery atelier by day, where guests can create pottery, turns into an arts-and-craft-inspired restaurant in the evening, with a menu focused on experiential tastes via fresh seafood and plant-based dishes sourced from local farms and an on-site garden.
SCUSA Restaurant at AYANA Segara Bali - Jimbaran, Indonesia
The restaurant features some incredible dishes from Italian Chef de Cuisine Umberto Sbardella, including stuffed calamari with sauce vierge and confit tomato, mackerel in carpione with garden vegetables and citrus mayo, and chef’s personal favorite, pappardelle with lamb ragout topped with pecorino fondue and sage. The restaurant also sources many of its ingredients from a unique on-property AYANA Farm to keep dishes local and sustainable.
