Rubra by Chef Daniela Soto-Innes at W Punta de Mita

Located on Mexico’s Pacific coast at the iconic Huichol and Wixarica-inspired W Punta de Mita, Rubra is globally acclaimed James Beard Award-winning Chef Daniela Soto-Innes' culinary masterpiece. Seemingly carved into the Riviera Nayarit's lush coastal vegetation, the restaurant's pink outward-facing facade builds up the mystery of what the restaurant has in store, offering a short entrance tunnel that heightens anticipation before you are granted admission into somewhere special. Designed by Ignacio Urquiza Arquitectos (IUA) and Ana Paula de Alba (apda) in partnership with Mexican sculptural designer Pablo Kobayashi, the indoor/outdoor free-flowing dining room is an inspired use of pigmented precast, creating a floor-to-ceiling pink concrete space that beautifully blends its soft feminine hue with the strength of its structural lines. The salmon monochromatic tone is cut through only with jaw-dropping infinity views of Bahia de Banderas and vibrant native greenery housed in planters that double as bench seating, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior, and the natural and manufactured environment. The goal is to evoke the sensation of complete immersion in the coastline’s emblematic shoreline: nestling the restaurant above the beach, between ocean and jungle.

With its open center stage kitchen, exposed wine cellar and show-stopping bar, which is home to the biggest agave collection in the region, Rubra invites guests into the culinary process, immersing them in every aspect of the dining journey. All of the furnishings used at the restaurant are bespoke creations made exclusively for Chef Daniela and this project. The furniture — chairs, benches, tables, table and service accessories, storage furniture, coat stands — were co-designed by Chef Daniela, Ana Paula and regional artisans. The tableware, pans, sculptures, and other utensils were specially made by a talented group of guest designers, such as Claire Lippman (CHerie), Nouvel Glass, Mauviel and Carlos Matos.