In 2018, Rayan Nicolas, a Lebanese entrepreneur in the hospitality industry, opened a restaurant in one of the city’s 500-year-old buildings located in the Mar Mikhael area of Beirut. Called Amelia, it has become a secret spot in the city. At Amelia, you can experience an intersection of gastronomy, mixology, and music in such a way that there are no clear categories. The concept was simple in theory, complex in execution: create a multisensory journey that awakens all senses, pushing boundaries while maintaining sophistication.
Now, Amelia has landed in Dubai, bringing its bold vision to Address Skyview in Downtown. And if the original was a hidden gem, the Dubai iteration is a revelation in full view, perched where 12-meter ceilings meet sweeping glass walls overlooking the Burj Khalifa.
A Steampunk Fantasy in the Sky
Walk into Amelia Dubai, and you step into a world where the golden age of exploration collides with retro-futuristic fantasy. This is steampunk not as a costume party but as serious design language, inspired by the revolutionary Art Deco ‘Moderne’ era of the 1920s, when the world was captivated by innovation, glamour, and the daring spirit of discovery.
Soaring stone arches frame the space. A luminous compass crowns the DJ booth. Cascading organ-pipe sculptures create a dramatic backdrop. Above it all, a tornado-like mesh sculpture inscribed with Amelia’s words swirls in midair, a piece of light and story suspended against the Dubai skyline. Every detail sings with the poetry of machinery: riveted panels, burnished metals, soft amber light, golden accents that catch and hold the eye.
The fine dining room, perched on the mezzanine, takes guests on an underwater journey. Vaulted arches curve like the hull of a submarine, bathed in a surreal glow that transforms each table into a private vessel. It’s theatre and spectacle, but purposeful theatre, where atmosphere elevates rather than overwhelms the culinary experience.
Nikkei with Mediterranean Whispers
Examples of Nikkei cuisine are on Amelia’s menu; it is a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese food, resulting from the arrival of Japanese immigrants in Peru during the late 1800s. At Amelia, you will find sophisticated Japanese cooking techniques combined with the vibrancy of Peruvian ingredients, resulting in unique and exquisite dishes. Mediterranean elements have been incorporated into the menu as well for an additional layer of intercultural amalgamation.
This isn’t fusion for fusion’s sake. It’s a carefully articulated blend that expresses diversity of flavors while maintaining coherence. Dishes are delicately prepared and cooked to perfection, designed to take guests on a mouth-watering adventure that respects the origins of both culinary traditions while creating something entirely new.
The presentation matches the setting. Every plate is crafted to be visually striking, understanding that in a space this dramatic, the food must hold its own as a work of art.
The Bar as Aviation Dreamscape
Amelia bar is a perfect example of the best in steampunk design; a large propeller hangs from the ceiling (like a sun), with large arched windows filled with bright lights and illuminated gauges from a time long ago, when flying was new and exciting. The atmosphere is a mix between a shop and a fancy lounge, with many riveted panels and great-looking metals.
Behind the counter, master mixologists practice their craft with the precision of engineers and the creativity of artists. These are award-winning cocktails, visually striking creations that balance innovation with drinkability. Each cocktail is a journey unto itself, transforming rare spirits into stories told through taste and presentation.
The Botanical Lounge offers a different energy. Lush greenery meets industrial artistry, with a striking raw-metal gear spiraling from the ceiling. It’s a space that breathes, where the organic and mechanical coexist in unexpected harmony.
When Night Becomes Voyage
This philosophy extends to private events. As night falls, Amelia’s emotion can be felt in the music, which sets the mood for this venue. Afro and melodic house rhythms guide the energy of each night, curated to match the progression from dinner to late-night revelry.
For those seeking something more, there’s Voyage by Amelia, the exclusive late-night speakeasy that takes the concept even further. Entry begins at a dramatic pendulum-inspired door crowned by a clock that challenges reality. Beyond lies a luxuriously carpeted sanctuary where guests find themselves inside the inner workings of a grand clock, surrounded by mesmerizing gears and spirals.
The design draws from vintage train stations, with arched windows, surreal artworks, and custom furniture evoking vintage luggage. The blue-and-gold palette and sumptuous velvet accents complete an atmosphere designed to whisk guests away into an otherworldly escape. It’s a space where 1920s glamour meets sci-fi fantasy, where every detail contributes to the sense of having stepped outside time itself.
The Philosophy: More Than a Meal
Amelia explicitly positions itself as more than a restaurant or lounge. It is a conceptual adventure driven by the desire to create something new through art, imagination, and exploration. The purpose is to provide unique experiences that unite people in an inviting environment, where exceptional service and attention to detail offer an opportunity to enjoy experiences that stimulate all the senses.
The restaurant features several unique spaces to accommodate any type of event, from small celebration dinners to large corporate functions/ product launches/ brand displays. Each room has its own distinct vibe, all within the same overarching steampunk narrative that underpins Amelia’s design.
Gift vouchers start at AED 500 and are available as physical cards or digital delivery, positioning Amelia as an experience worth gifting, not just visiting.
From Beirut to the Mountain Cliffs
The expansion from Beirut to Dubai represents only part of Amelia’s vision. The brand has also established a presence in Faraya, on mountain cliffs, proving that the concept can adapt to vastly different environments while maintaining its core identity.
Each location carries forward a commitment to artistic expression, cultural fusion, and the pursuit of extraordinary moments. But they’re not carbon copies. Each Amelia responds to its environment, its local context, its unique possibilities.
The Invitation
Amelia ends its narrative with two words: Bon Voyage. It’s a fitting closing, one that acknowledges the restaurant’s obsession with travel, exploration, and journey. Guests don’t simply dine at Amelia. They embark on a voyage through time and style, through flavor and sound, through a carefully constructed world where every element is designed to transport.
In a city full of concepts vying for attention, Amelia distinguishes itself through commitment to a singular vision. The steampunk aesthetic isn’t window dressing. The Nikkei cuisine isn’t trend-chasing. The music programming isn’t an afterthought. Everything connects, everything contributes to the overarching narrative of exploration and discovery.
Whether it succeeds in the long term will depend on whether guests return not just for the spectacle but for the substance beneath. But for now, Amelia offers something increasingly rare: a fully realized concept that delivers on its promise, a restaurant that understands the difference between decoration and design, between service and experience, between a meal and a memory.
The compass is lit. The propeller spins. The gears turn. All that’s left is to step through the door and see where the journey leads.
