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Flair to +Bringing The Lone Star State Haute Living chatted with the Villa Azur founders to talk about the Dallas location, the success of the brand and their pillars of success. BY MARY GIBSON
V I L L A A Z U R I S A M I A M I B E A C H R E S TA U R A N T A N D L O U N G E K N O W N F O R I T S E X Q U I S I T E
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cuisine, dancing and cocktails. Started in 2011 by longtime friends and restaurateurs Jean-Philippe Bernard, Paul Breuza and Michael Martin, Villa Azur was created to bring the French Riviera and sparkling Mediterranean lifestyle to Miami Beach. This fine dining restaurant combines music, dining, entertainment and art and is especially known for its Thursday night dinner party — the most glamorous party on the beach! Full of well-dressed servers, live music and impeccable bites, Villa Azur is the place to be when in Miami. The business has been rapidly growing in the past decade, leading to successful venues worldwide. The locations include Mexico City, as well as beach versions of Villa Azur in both Bodrum, Turkey, and Saint-Tropez, France, that are only open during the summer. Most recently, Villa Azur has expanded to the W Hotel in Dallas and is set to open this fall. Haute Living: What has contributed to the success of the Villa Azur brand? Villa Azur: Villa Azur is a place to celebrate — whether it is a new job, an exciting achievement, a birthday or just life in general. The core mission of Villa Azur is to wake up every morning ready to celebrate life and make it contagious. Every morning, each of us should wake up and affirm: “I am grateful for my life and my health. Today, I am celebrating life, walking out my door and inspiring everybody around me.” HL: What makes the restaurant and hospitality brand different? VA: We have a fresh and flirty vibe with a touch of whimsy. We transform a high-end dinner service into a vibrant atmosphere for patrons to socialize and celebrate the night away.
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HL: Why was Dallas selected as the next place to expand Villa Azur? VA: When it comes to cities on track for continued global business success, Dallas is at the head of the class. Attracting multicultural interests daily, it’s among the country’s fastest-growing cities and ranks as one of the best places to live in America. Villa Azur in Dallas was simply an evident choice for an exciting and successful brand expansion. Texans are irresistibly friendly and down-to-earth, and we have been tremendously charmed by the diversity and the energetic, modern lifestyle the city has to offer. HL: How will this destination be unique from the others? VA: While the Miami location currently operates for dinner only, Villa Azur Dallas, located uptown at the W HotelVictory, will be open for dinner as well as breakfast and lunch. The location will also serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays in a lively atmosphere, true to Villa Azur’s glamorous vibe, offering guests a full fine dining experience.
HL: Will the chef be creating some specialty dishes unique to the Dallas location? VA: Dallas has a unique culinary identity, and we want to ensure we meet all of our future patrons’ expectations. Texans are notorious meat lovers, and as such, Villa Azur will be offering large cuts of meat, such as a 42-ounce tomahawk steak, braised short rib on the bone, and a 16-ounce prime New York steak, to name a few. The menu will also reflect the restaurant’s identity by offering many of Miami’s signature dishes, such as seared octopus, king crab, artichoke salad, truffle burrata, pates a la meule Cognac flambé, Dover sole meuniere, chateaubriand au poivre, whole roasted chicken and the best Nutella mousse you’ll ever have. Additionally, our executive chef, Carlos Torres, will be creating seasonal inspired specialty dishes with bold flavors to pair with our excellent selection of Perrier-Jouet champagne, Opus wines and a hard-to-resist cocktails list. For more information, visit villaazurhospitality.com.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF VILLA AZUR DALLAS
HL: Will there be any specialty nights at the Dallas location? VA: Villa Azur Dallas will surely bring the Miami extravaganza with late-night entertainment, glamorous greeters, live DJs and fancy handcrafted cocktails. Our Thursday night dinner party will add a sexy, European touch to the vibrant Dallas nightlife. Whether it’s a date night or a get-together with friends, be ready for fabulous weekends and unforgettable memories!
