Sant Ambroeus Showcases 1950s Italian Glamour in Palm Beach

One of New York’s best-loved restaurants, Sant Ambroeus (340 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach), which has three locations in the city and a fourth in Southampton, has finally expanded outside the state, opening an outpost at the new Royal Poinciana Plaza in Palm Beach. After a little over a month, a table at Sant Ambroeus is already one of the toughest to score in the tony town.

Owner Dimitri Pauli and general manager Adil Avunduk preside over the 174-seat room designed with mahogany and stone and inspired by a 1950s Italian café, and greet their regular customers as if the place has been there for decades.

Of course the authentic Milanese dishes offered at breakfast, lunch and dinner are familiar as is the awe-inspiring array of home-made pastries (don’t miss the key lime meringue), but here there is more of an emphasis on seafood, colorful salads, grains, and local ingredients. Sharing a menu with those traditional items like caprese salad, carciofi salad, and Tagliatelle alla Bolognese are new offerings such as blue crab, lobster, an array of pizzas, and a simply cooked section. The cocktail program also emphasizes South Florida bounty, while the wine list is filled with unique selections from obscure Italian regions.

A gelato cart is stationed outside at the floral-strewn entrance, and if you can’t get a seat in the dining room, the menu is also available at the bar, which has café tables. And soon you might not mind cooling your heels waiting for a table – Poinciana’s plaza’s chic update should be completed by the end of the year, with shopping to rival Worth Avenue.

For more information or to make a reservation call 561-285-7990.