OBMI has unveiled its latest culinary interiors project: AMANIE, a serene and sensorial restaurant experience set within the iconic Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, deep in Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter. The restaurant emerges as a visual and emotional mirage – designed not only to complement the resort but to stand as a destination in its own right.
Spearheaded by Maud Capet, Associate Principal of Interior Design at OBMI, AMANIE is a study in material storytelling and emotional design. With a palette inspired by the desert’s golden dawns and dusks, interiors are layered with light wood, handwoven textures and terracotta. Antique mirror cladding is carefully incorporated to subtly reflect the dramatic sunset – a central element of the client’s vision. To amplify the experience, OBMI introduced raised flooring to offer every guest an unobstructed view of the shifting sky, an architectural gesture that transforms each evening into a performance of colour and light.
“The Qasr Al Sarab resort is like a palace of illusions – timeless, surreal and steeped in natural drama,” said Maud Capet. “We wanted to extend that illusion into the interiors of AMANIE, allowing guests to feel as if they are part of the landscape. The design is calm, layered, and tactile, offering a moment of pause and presence in the vastness of the desert.”
The restaurant’s atmosphere gracefully supports the culinary experience curated by Michelinstarred Chef Giuseppe Pino Lavarra, with Mediterranean influences reinterpreted through a desert lens. Custom ceramics by Abu Dhabi-based COE Studio, biophilic accents, and subtle blue upholstery nod to the resort’s shimmering infinity pool, further grounding AMANIE in its locale.
“With AMANIE, we’re excited to add a remarkable food and beverage concept to our portfolio— one that reflects OBMI’s vision of designing restaurants that are both extensions of the resort and standalone destinations,” said Tareq El Zayat, Principal and Managing Director at OBMI London and Dubai studios. “This project showcases the strength of our global design team and our ability to craft emotionally resonant environments that bring together storytelling, place, and hospitality. We look forward to applying this creative depth to future Food & Beverage experiences around the world.”
From leisurely lunches and sunset drinks to music-filled evenings, AMANIE offers flexibility and sophistication—an immersive space where architecture, nature, and gastronomy converge. This project reinforces OBMI’s longstanding expertise in creating iconic hospitality venues and its dedication to emotionally driven design across continents and cultures.
