Amara, a Mediterranean restaurant from the owners of Saffron, plans to open in Belmont this summer

Amar, “to love” in Spanish, is what the team at Saffron restaurants hopes diners will feel when they experience their newest dining concept, Amara, slated to open this summer in the former Water Dog Tavern space at Belmont’s Carlmont Village Shopping Center.

The upscale concept seeks to encapsulate the cuisine and culture of countries that span the southern Mediterranean and northern African shores – think of a mash-up of flavors and food from Algiers, Mykonos and Ibiza in a breezy, elegant space that takes full advantage of the former restaurant’s expansive outdoor area and lush grounds.

Reena Miglani and Ajay Walia, the husband-and-wife team behind Burlingame and San Carlos’ Saffron restaurants, dreamed of opening a place that reminded them of their frequent travels abroad. As much as they love serving food that spans the Indian continent, the couple wanted to expand their customer reach with the flavors that they often cook with at home. 

“While entertaining our friends at home or cooking for the family, Ajay and I have always curated family-style shareable menu plates featuring bright Mediterranean flavors,” Miglani said.

Chef Brett Tullis worked with Miglani and Walia to create a menu that was both familiar and unexpected. Tullis’s experience cooking Cal-Indian food at San Francisco’s Campton Place and cooking Mediterranean food at Las Vegas’ Orla made him a good fit for Amara’s concept. 

Amara’s menu will include dishes like charred leeks with housemade harissa and briny feta, slow-cooked lamb shoulder tagine with apricots and toasted almonds, and roasted cauliflower with smoked dates and preserved lemon puree. 

“Amara is the culmination of the myriad of cultures I’ve encountered in my travels,” Tullis said. “Its cuisine is meant to celebrate the Mediterranean’s diversity and tradition.”

Miglani traveled to New York this past spring to meet with Jonathan Adler to develop Amara’s beverage program. Adler, a beverage industry veteran, spent time on both coasts, notably at San Francisco’s Saison when it received three Michelin stars. 

Amara’s signature cocktails (10 alcoholic and four non-alcoholic) include ingredients typically found off the shores of the Mediterranean and surrounding waters. Many have savory components like the Gran Especia that mixes reposado tequila with a special Spanish spice blend. A housemade fig leaf soda will serve as a base for fruity alcohol-free offerings.

Redwood City’s The Right Touch Designs is behind the interior and exterior transformation. Arches, frescos, imported fixtures like lanterns, and soft furnishings such as textiles will help convey the vision. Amara is poised to fill a much-needed gap in Belmont’s dining scene with multiple indoor and outdoor nooks to dine, celebrate and lounge with a drink and a small bite.

Amara, 1015 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont; Instagram: @amararestaurants.