Find the new restaurant inside the space that previously housed Crate & Barrel. The concept comes from the Wish You Were Here restaurant group, which has hip eateries in Los Angeles, New York and Las Vegas including the original Élephante in Santa Monica, California.
Élephante features modern, airy design and Mediterranean cuisine, including plenty of seafood. The cocktail list includes an espresso martini flight, mezcal drinks and fun twists on the classics.
The eatery joins the likes of Nobu, Toca Madera, Francine and Ocean 44, a growing list of upscale dining offerings at Scottsdale Fashion Square.
Chef Thomas Lim will lead the kitchen at Élephante's Arizona location. A decade ago, Lim made the Zagat "30 Under 30" list, a collection of up-and-coming culinary professionals. Reservations are now open for dinner service nightly from 4 to 11 p.m., with lunch and brunch services planned for the near future.
Élephante serves dishes like wood-fired burrata and soppressata pizzas; house-made pastas such as tortellini pomodoro and cacio e pepe; and seafood options including grilled octopus, diver scallops with citrus butter and whole lobster piccata.
New menu items exclusive to the Scottsdale restaurant include a 20-ounce dry-aged bone-in ribeye and expanded dips for the restaurant’s signature Puccia bread, a baked-to-order fan favorite made with puff pastry, featuring a golden exterior and hollow, steamy center.
Bar Bambino, a cozy cocktail lounge nestled within the Scottsdale space for late-night sips and bites, will debut on Dec. 7. The hideaway features a curved bronze bar, live DJ and table-side cocktail cart service.
The restaurant's design, envisioned by Wish You Were Here Group founder Nick Mathers, is inspired by the spirit of southern Italy, blending both coastal and local elements. Guests enter through a dramatic archway into an indoor-outdoor space filled with desert flora, custom silk tapestries and handcrafted macrame. A marble-topped bar anchors the dining room, while a fold-away glass wall leads to the patio.
“Our goal is to create an escape,” Mathers said. “From the food to the design, every detail is crafted to immerse guests in the spirit of southern Italy.”
Élephante
Opening Dec. 47014 E. Camelback Road, #601, Scottsdale
