Mountain Mayhem: Benvenuti, Sant Ambroeus

Sant Ambroeus Hospitality Group has made an imprint on Aspen, first with a coffee bar that opened in 2023 at 520 East Hyman Avenue, followed by a restaurant that opened earlier this year in the restored 1889 stucco building at 201 E Main Street, fondly remembered by many as Main Street Bakery. This past summer, Il Baretto opened with a chic cocktail bar and lounge and a private patio courtyard connecting the two spaces.

Combining the warmth of an Alpine chalet with the modern aesthetic and cuisine of Milan, the Aspen compound brings the brand’s heritage of northern Italian hospitality and distinctive culinary vision to the Rocky Mountain region for the first time.

The original Sant Ambroeus opened its doors in Milan in 1936 and quickly acquired a devoted following. In 1982, it expanded to New York’s Upper East Side. Partners Gherardo Guarducci and Dimitri Pauli have carefully grown the brand, translating old-world sensibilities from the original location to appeal to American diners and importing generations of Italian culinary tradition to a selective group of New York neighborhoods, including SoHo, the West Village, and Southampton, as well as Sant Ambroeus Coffee Bars at the Loews Regency Hotel, Sotheby’s Auction House, Hanley New York, and Brookfield Place.

I’ve had the pleasure of spending time at Sant Ambroeus — first in SoHo, another time at its Palm Beach address, and here now that it’s been established locally. This past year I’ve enjoyed the Aspen location for several notable occasions — from a soft opening dinner last winter with another writer to a cocktail reception following an art talk with Sanford Biggers (his sculpture is on display in Paepcke Park just a block away) to the Aspen Institute’s 75th Anniversary Celebration after-party in June to a lovely lunch on the patio with colleagues this past summer. Each time I step into Sant Ambroeus, I get the sense of being transported to Italy with the warm hospitality, dishes and drinks, and even several of the staff members from abroad.

Corporate Chef Iacopo Falai focused the Aspen restaurant’s menu on elegant Milanese-style cuisine as influenced by and built from the bounty of the surrounding Rocky Mountain rivers and farms. Main courses such as Ossobuco Alla Milanese and Baked Langoustine include sides of roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, while other dishes such as the Polenta, Fegato e Funghi appetizer feature local wild mushrooms. Seafood includes raw bar selections and mains of wild-caught fish, including Branzino all’isolana and Scottish salmon. The crown jewel of the Sant Ambroeus menu remains its curated selection of upscale, pasta classics, including Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe and Rigatoni Strofinati and Paccheri Rosa. 

The brand’s story continues to unfold with selective and strategic expansion, including new openings in Miami, Los Angeles, Paris, and beyond. By weaving together culinary excellence, artful design, and a sense of belonging, Sant Ambroeus is poised to define the next generation of international hospitality.