Chef Raymond Alvarez and mixologists John Fox and Kevin Williams—the team behind Palmilla in California’s Hermosa Beach and the Michelin Guide-recognized Esperanza in Manhattan Beach—once again tapped Icelandic architect Gulla Jónsdóttir for their latest project.
This time, Jónsdóttir was tasked with bringing the breezy vibes of Cabo San Lucas to Palmilla’s new location in Newport Beach.
With interiors inspired by a rocky formation called “the End of the World” and where the Sea of Cortés meets the Pacific Ocean, Palmilla is Jónsdóttir’s ode to the perfect Cabo vacation villa overlooking the sea. “Palmilla feels like a home-away-from-home,” she says. “Welcoming the eye to love its hues with every light and the coral-colored arch under a bold lamp-sun, the restaurant is a salute to the golden rays of every season.”
Terracotta hues abound, including plaster, three-dimensional clay tiles, flagstone floors, and interior walls in the lounge and dining room. During the summer, an open courtyard offers shade from the heat. “On the terrace, beneath the Yucca tree, guests await the starlit night as leaves cast enchanting shadows that create a captivating tableau,” Jónsdóttir says.
Custom artisan elements include a handwoven jute ceiling and a retractable ceiling decorated with tropical art, located above the front half of the 4,000-square-foot dining room. Bespoke Spanish and Mexican furniture, straw pendant lights, and handmade ceramic lamps further the sense of authenticity.
“The bronze back bar in the shape of the Cabo Arc is one of my favorite moments,” she says, “and the façade with its curvy, white concrete features and an engraved map of Baja, California form a momentous entry that makes me happy.”
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