Sunday May 5th, 2024
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Atelier Sud Draws the Spirit of the French Riviera to the North Coast

Lisbon-based hospitality group Harvest Cotton Tale brings the cuisine of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur to Egypt's North Coast.

John Bichara

Atelier Sud Draws the Spirit of the French Riviera to the North Coast

Along Egypt's North Coast, we've seen much of the glamour and luxury that North Africa can provide, inspired by traditions of Mediterranean holidays that span generations. Think Alexandrian summers and road trips to Marsa Matrouh, with furniture crafted out of palm and immaculate white buildings that wear its Greek heritage on its sleeve. And yet across the sea, our concept of coastal comfort sees a chromatic shift to the sunny yellows and lime greens that highlight the cerulean shores and vibrant veridian trees of the French Riviera, and which in turn have inspired the elegant European aesthetics of the North Coast's latest culinary standout, Atelier Sud.

Atelier Sud is a fresh concept by Harvest Cotton Tale, a Lisbon-based hospitality group that has crafted, developed and consulted on restaurant, hotel and retail experiences across Europe and beyond, including Cavalariça in Comporta, Portugal, Velaa Private Island in the Maldives, and the Flushing Meadows Hôtel in Munich - although Egyptian readers will surely be intimately familiar with their more local work, such as Gourmet Food Stores, Adrere Amellal at Siwa Oasis, and The G Hotel on the North Coast.

Drawing on the food and culture of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - where France's famously glamorous beach resorts like Nice and Cannes invite dreamers and dealers to their sun-drenched shores - Atelier Sud channels the spirit of these lavish destinations with interior design by Alchemy Studios that evoke the sway of sundresses with striped yellow-and-white lamps, sea-blue panels that are reminiscent of the glimmering lights on the surface of the water, and opulent marble flooring and counters that simply speak for themselves. To say nothing of the immaculately crafted palm furniture, a welcome reminder that you're never too far from the beach. Meanwhile, the kitchen is helmed by Chef Bruno Contreras, one of the founders of Harvest Cotton Tale and a former Executive Chef of Michelin Star restaurants across France, whose menu promises to transport you to the French Riviera by taste alone.

On July 19th and July 20th, Atelier Sud will allow prospective guests an early look with their weekend pop up, where Chef Contreras will be joined by Spanish Chef Mariola Cid Corral, who has worked with the likes of Cyril Lignac and Jean Francois Piège in Paris, and whose Mediterranean cuisine famously combines nature's vibrancy with her own Mexican twist.

Meanwhile, DJ Folger - a resident DJ at Lisbon's famed Detox Social Club and Sublime Beach Club in Comporta - will take charge at the turntable and bring us on a sonic cruise around Portugal and Spain. His live performance will serve as a preview for the music that will define Atelier Sud's immersive atmosphere, which will be curated by British artist Jazzi Q  of the English band Soul, who has taken his DJing talents across major cities on almost every major continent, and has spun with the best of them at exclusive clubs and parties across the UK and Europe.

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