If finding the next vibey night out is your Roman Empire, put the W Scottsdale Hotel back on your radar. The Old Town resort plans to debut Sexy Roman, a new Italian-inspired restaurant with a roving martini cart, this spring.
The restaurant will replace the luxe, date-night-worthy Sushi Roku, which shuttered in July 2023 following a 15-year run.
Sexy Roman is poised to be the centerpiece of the W’s dining options. It comes from Alliance Hospitality Group, a Los Angeles-based company that is also behind Phoenix’s Flint by Baltaire.
The restaurant will replace the luxe, date-night-worthy Sushi Roku, which shuttered in July 2023 following a 15-year run.
Sexy Roman is poised to be the centerpiece of the W’s dining options. It comes from Alliance Hospitality Group, a Los Angeles-based company that is also behind Phoenix’s Flint by Baltaire.
To develop this new concept, Alliance selected James Beard Award-nominated chef Jason Franey. He has cooked at fine-dining restaurants and resorts around the country. Most recently, Franey was the executive chef of Yuta, the restaurant at Utah’s The Lodge at Blue Sky.
The team behind Sexy Roman promises to deliver plenty of high-end touches. The space has undergone a year-long renovation, creating a sleek lounge that gives way to a black marble-topped bar. The main dining room has an airy feel thanks to a wall of windows that slide open to reveal the outdoor deck.
“We've designed this space to be more than just a restaurant – it’s an experience,” says Alliance Hospitality Group COO Travis Strickland. “From the glow of the marble bar to the open-air dining, every detail invites guests to escape into something extraordinary.”
The menu developed by Franey and Strickland will feature Mediterranean and Italian-inspired dishes. There will be raw bites including ahi tuna crudo with eggplant caviar and harissa vinaigrette, as well as riffs on popular Roman snacks such as Taleggio cheese-stuffed saffron suppli – fried, oblong-shaped balls of rice.
Sexy Roman will also serve pasta and family-style plates. Share the restaurant's signature lasagna, which is made with short-rib bolognese and four kinds of cheese, or tuck into a grilled steak topped with tortellini and black truffle fonduta.
Cart service is a feature at Sexy Roman, with tiramisu and martinis delivered tableside. Ordering these drinks will include a hint of drama. When guests press a button hidden beneath their table, they’ll be bathed “in a sultry red glow,” according to the release. That will summon the cart and a bartender to shake or stir a “perfectly crafted martini, made-to-order with a flash of theatrics and a nitro-chilled glass,” the release says.
Sexy Roman’s less-showy drink offerings include Italian wine by the glass or bottle and classic cocktails inspired by the Mediterranean country. An official opening date has not yet been announced, but the team is aiming to reveal the new concept this spring.
Sexy Roman
Opens this spring7277 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale
