SOPRA

Category Bars + Restaurants
Year 2014
Location New York, NY
Size 1,000 sf

Amali, an award-winning, sustainably-driven Mediterranean restaurant opened in the fall of 2011 and marked the first of many collaborations between Mapos and restaurateur/co-owner James Mallios.

Two years later, they opened Sopra, a unique communal dining experience which focuses on Mediterranean fare as well as socializing and sharing of culinary knowledge in the form of family-style dining. Located on the second floor, above sister-restaurant Amali, Sopra—which translates to “above” in Italian—features a state-of-the-art open kitchen, placing diners an arm’s length away from Executive Chef Rachel Goulet.

While Amali has a look and feel akin to a Mediterranean home’s courtyard, the experience upstairs is more intimate. Located on the 2nd floor of an 18th century townhouse on 60th street between Park and Lexington, down the street from Bloomingdale’s, the open communal space is the private den to the home’s courtyard, and can accommodate private parties of up to 52 guests.

Dario Gimenez (of Bushwick) fabricated the custom furniture from reclaimed wood provided by M. Fine Lumber Company (of Brooklyn), lighting was sourced from Rich Brilliant and Willing in Gowanus, and custom steel work for the lighting and façade was done in Lower Manhattan.

Photography by Oleg March.

The goal was to create a warm, functional gathering space with a strong color palette—inviting guests to linger for hours over good food, drink and conversation.

The furnishings at Sopra are true to Amali’s overall focus on locally-sourced ingredients.

While custom-built white oak sliding doors add a rustic-but-polished look to the space, they also can close to subdivide the space for two separate private parties.