Ámbar Restaurante

El Paso, TX

Located within the historic Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park in downtown El Paso, Ámbar Restaurante transforms the heart of the restored 1930 Art Deco hotel into a vibrant food and beverage destination. The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry drew inspiration from archival newspaper stories and photographs documenting the hotel's original opening, reinterpreting its historic character through a contemporary lens.

Project Team

View Bio

Anita Summers

Leadership

project scope

7,500 SF

design services

Architecture, Interior Design

Studios

Hospitality Interior Design, The Johnson Studio, Restaurants

CLient

Jordan Foster Construction LLC

Awards

2021 BDNY Gold Key Award, Best Restaurant Casual Dining

In The News

Five of Texas' Best Restaurants

North America's Largest Agave Spirits Collection

Restoration of 1930s El Paso Hotel Completes

Rich Materials, Rough-Hewn Elegance

Rich walnut, jewel-toned velvet and mohair, warm brass, and Mexican hand-tooled leather create a layered material palette rooted in El Paso’s culture and character. Custom light fixtures reinterpret details from the hotel’s original lighting, while contemporary furnishings balance modern luxury with a relaxed, rough-hewn elegance. The result honors the building’s past without recreating it, establishing an experience distinctly its own.

Restoring the Heart of the Hotel

Central to the design was restoring the hotel’s original double-height atrium, which a previous renovation had capped. Reopening the space restored the entrance’s original grandeur. It established Ámbar as a focal point of the hotel experience, with check-in positioned to play a secondary role to the active restaurant and bar.

At the center of the atrium, a dramatic 40-foot back bar showcases one of Texas’ largest tequila collections behind amber glass and polished stainless steel. A contemporary staircase, partially concealed behind the bar, provides access to the soaring tequila display while creating a hidden connection between the main restaurant and a cellar-like private dining space below.

Layering the Dining Experience

The restaurant extends beyond its main dining room into an exposed theater kitchen and private dining spaces in the hotel’s former trunk and boiler rooms. This sequence creates a layered journey through the historic building, transforming previously utilitarian spaces into intimate hospitality experiences.

Together, the restored architecture, expressive materials, and theatrical food and beverage elements give Ámbar a strong sense of place rooted in El Paso’s history and cultural traditions while creating a contemporary destination for hotel guests and the surrounding community.

Ámbar Restaurante

Rich Materials, Rough-Hewn Elegance

Restoring the Heart of the Hotel

Layering the Dining Experience

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