Amali, a Mediterranean-style restaurant, opened in the fall of 2011, marking the first of many collaborations between Mapos and James Mallios, restaurateur and co-owner of Amali. Two years later, they opened Sopra, a private dining room located in what used to be an apartment above Amali. Sopra means “above” in Italian, a fitting name not only because of the dining room’s location, but also because the experience is elevated; guests enjoy similar seasonal, farm-to-table fare, but in an exclusive setting with its own chef’s table kitchen.
While Amali has a look and feel akin to a Mediterranean home’s courtyard, the experience upstairs is more intimate. Here Mapos created the patriarch’s private den. A masculine, darker palette and a lighting design that yields a rich glow set a more private and exclusive tone.
The space was designed to accommodate private parties of up to 52 guests. 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.
The furnishings remain appropriate to Amali and Sopra’s focus on locally-sourced ingredients. Repurposed wood and furniture was made in Bushwick, lighting was sourced from Rich Brilliant and Willing in Gowanus, and custom steel work for the lighting and façade was done in Lower Manhattan.
Like Amali, it is a design that embodies values shared by Mapos, James Mallios, and his culinary team. Mapos looks forward to future collaborations where design holistically matches the culinary experience.
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