Santa Monica’s five-star restaurant, Élephante, has arrived in Arizona. Conveniently located at Scottsdale Fashion Square, the restaurant’s second location transports desert dwellers to a breezy Mediterranean escape.

Meticulously designed by restaurateur Nick Mathers of Wish You Were Here Group, every detail—from the imported travertine tile and lush florals, to bespoke built furniture—is an embodiment of Italy’s sun-drenched Mediterranean region.

“With Élephante Scottsdale, we’re creating an experience that embraces the local surroundings while staying true to our ethos of making guests feel like they’re on vacation, even if they’re just a few blocks from home,” says Mathers. “This has been our approach since we opened our first restaurant in New York over 20 years ago.”

Led by culinary director Thomas Lim, the menu is a sumptuous selection of coastal Italian fare, as well as a sommelier-selected wine list and signature cocktails, punch bowls, mocktails and classic cocktails.

We recently sat down with Wish You Were Here Group’s founder Nick Mathers, culinary director Thomas Lim, VP of Beverage Julien Calelle and Corporate Sommelier Gianmarco Duin to learn more about what Élephante has in store.

Q&A with Élephante’s Nick Mathers, Thomas Lim, Gianmarco Duin & Julien Calella

What sets Élephante apart from other restaurants at Scottsdale Fashion Square?

NM: We want to take you away. We want to make someone feel like they’ve been transported somewhere incredible. The idea is to go on vacation, while only driving a few blocks.

Why did you choose Scottsdale for Élephante’s second location?

NM: Funnily enough, the islands I was most inspired by when I opened the first Élephante in Santa Monica were places like Pantelleria and the Aeolian Islands off the Sicilian coast. They’re very arid and have a desert-esque feel, very rocky and covered in cactus. If you took them and reoriented the islands in the middle of Arizona, they wouldn’t look out of place. So bringing Élephante to Scottsdale was a natural fit.

How is this location different from the original?

NM: As this is our first expansion of the restaurant outside of Los Angeles, I want guests to feel the essence of Élephante no matter the location. For Scottsdale, I wanted it to feel like one of those amazing desert oases, like you’ve stumbled across a vibrant watering hole. And unique to this location, we’ve added a lounge that has an enjoyable, vibey energy.

How would you describe the vibe at Élephante?

TL: Light, breezy and coastal.

Can you tell me more about the decor?

NM: We always aim to make guests feel like they’ve escaped to somewhere else for a moment. In order to do so, the space needs to feel authentic. So, every aspect of the space is custom-designed and we made every piece of furniture in-house. We imported the stone from Italy and flew in artists from around the world to make the artwork and macramé and tapestries on-site. We want to deliver the total experience and not just another place to eat food.

Can you tell me more about the food and drink selection?

NM: Élephante is inspired by the Italian coast, so there are fewer traditional red sauce dishes and more light, produce-driven dishes that are not too heavy. Fresh flavors, very seasonal.

TL: Classic menu items include our wood-fired pizzas made with long-fermented dough and a starter that’s over 30 years old. All of our pasta is made in-house. Some of my favorites are the vodka sauce canestri and the ricotta cavatelli with a pork fennel sausage ragù. We have a lot of new menu items that are specific to the Scottsdale location such as caviar toast, whole lobster piccata and a pistachio and honeycomb sundae.

JC: The beverage menu features a variety of signature and classic cocktails, along with elevated mocktails and shareable punch bowls. Our namesake cocktail, The Élephante, features passionfruit, lemon, almond orgeat, Montenegro and Calabrian chili, paired with the guest’s choice of spirit. We’re also creating draft cocktails made in-house—such as a sparkling, crystal clear Paloma—where we use a centrifuge to clarify the fresh fruits and then add carbonation so it looks like sparkling water, but you’ll take one sip and say, ‘Yeah, that’s a Paloma.’ There’s a rotating selection of frozen cocktails as well as a full menu of espresso martinis, including lavender with vodka, cinnamon with reposado tequila or mocha with mezcal, as well as an option to add a custom picture of your choice that is printed in coffee ink right atop the cocktail.

GD: You can’t be transported to the coastal Mediterranean without an extensive wine list, so we wanted to showcase wine from every single region across Italy, including limited quantity vintage wines from top producers, and four proprietary private labels. We’ll have a pinot grigio from Sicily, a prosecco-style sparkling wine from California, a super Tuscan from Tuscany, and a Russian River Valley pinot noir. Many wines will be available to taste, so if that Russian River pinot noir is not your thing, there is an amazing selection of Italian and domestic wines that are both approachable and delicious.

Finally, what’s your favorite thing on the menu?

TL: The wood-fired puccia—a puffed, soft bread from Italy’s Puglia region—with the whipped eggplant dip. It’s become a signature dish.

NM: I love the roasted branzino, with a beautiful salad and vegetables. But you can’t go wrong with our wood-fired pizzas and craft beer.