With impressive dedication, the Italo-Argentinean star chef Paulo Airaudo has – in just two months – managed to transform an old timber shop into a full throttle two-storey restaurant in the heart of Zona Romantica, the charming neighbourhood of San Sebastián filled with fine Parisian style architecture.
The 50 seat restaurant, which includes 14 seats inside an open kitchen, has its soft opening this weekend, Saturday April 1st, and features an inventive cuisine born of Airaudo’s innovative global outlook, created largely with local products from the luscious and mountainous Basque area of Northern Spain.
This combination results in a fairly priced, ever-changing 14 course tasting menu blending the knowledge and skills developed during the – up till now – nomadic chef’s extensive culinary endeavours through Spain, England, Scotland, Italy and Switzerland, and before this various countries in the Latin American region of the world.
Close to Buen Pastor Cathedral is where Amelia Restaurant is situated. In the heart of a romantic quarter of town filled with fine Parisian style architecture.
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Chef Airaudo entering San Sebastián is viewed with equal wonder and surprise, as no expat chef has opened a restaurant of this calibre in the globally praised food destination for decades; one of the most Michelin-accoladed areas in the world per capita, and filled with world-celebrated restaurants that draws global headlines; Mugaritz, Martin Berasategui, Arzak and Akellare, to name a few.
But, typical of the Basque warmth, the local community has welcomed Chef Airaudo’s bold move as an interesting addition to the future culinary growth of the majestic town tucked into the lagoon shores of the Bay of Biscay.
With him Paulo Airaudo brings additional culinary expats to the Basque capital, including an accomplished London head chef, an Italian Maitre d’ and sommelier, the assistance of a Wales forager and that of a Danish culinary ambassador, mixed staff members of Basque, Spanish and French origin with experience from local restaurants such as Arzak and Rekondo.
March 22nd, Paulo Airaudo in his new kitchen under construction 9 days before opening Amelia. In just two months he has managed to transform an old timber shop into a full throttle two-storey restaurant.
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Chef Airaudo, 32, was born in Argentina to a family of Italian immigrants and, since he was 18, has worked in many parts of the world; in Mexico, Peru and many European countries. In Europe he gained experience in restaurants such as Arzak (3*Michelin) in San Sebastián, The Fat Duck (3*Michelin) near London and Magnolia (1*Michelin) in Italy.
Together with Francesco Gasbarro he opened La Bottega – a forward thinking modern trattoria in the historic part of Geneva. Only four months later, in October 2015, the restaurant received its first Michelin star.
Now Paulo Airaudo creates his first solo restaurant to open Saturday April 1st in San Sebastián where his European adventure originally began.
Chef Airaudo elaborates:
“My family loves San Sebastián. I love San Sebastián. We’re happy here which is the main reason to build this restaurant. At the same time this magical town has the eye of chefs and foodies globally upon it, which in a way makes it possible for me to offer my food to the world.”
After 14 years of cooking and seeking culinary excellence all over the world, the nomad chef has finally found his home – even naming the ambitious endeavour after his 2-year-old daughter, Amelia, which means this time he’s here to stay.
This time it’s personal.
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Amelia Restaurant
Calle Moraza, 1B (Ex. Prim, 34)
20006 Donostia-San Sebastián
+34 943 845 647
info@ameliarestarant.com
www.ameliarestaurant.com
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Above: Evening of March 29th, just 3 days to soft opening. Below: Warm mosaic tiles from Verona decorates the kitchen walls of the restaurant to open in the Romantica-area of San Sebastián. Like Chef Paulo Airaudo expresses it: “If we’re going to spend 15 hours a day here cooking, it should to feel like home.”
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ABOUT AMELIA
Amelia Restaurant is open for evening service from Tuesday through to Saturday with service beginning 19:30 (7.30pm), as well as for lunch on Friday and Saturday with service beginning 12:30.
The restaurant offers an international, informal but quality driven and modern approach towards cooking, beverages, decor and sound. Amelia serves a constantly changing 14-servings tasting menu at €85, a smaller 9-servings tasting menu at €70, offers a diverse and well-picked winelist, as well as a creatively composed beverage tasting to accompany Chef Airaudo’s menu.
Amelia Restaurant has 50 seats, including 14 open kitchen seats that will offered to diners either as a community seats or for dinner parties.
In case of interest or/and press, please contact Kristian Brask Thomsen at:
Bon Vivant Communication is a culinary embassy representing star chefs and restaurants, chateaux and high-end wineries as well as working close together with various luxury hotels, gourmets festivals and bespoke concierges services.
The diplomacy speaks to a strong network of 600 journalists, bloggers and writers, as well as 2500 luxury diners around the globe.
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Hungry for more? Have a look at Amelia’s website.
March 25th, foraging in the mountainous Basque wild, one week before opening.
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