There are many beautiful settings to have a bite in Palm Beach, but only one sits directly on the water, a remarkably low number for an island. One can imagine it was quite a coup for Gianpaolo de Felice and Gabby Karan de Felice of the Tutto il Giorno restaurant group in the Hamptons to score the Royal Poinciana Plaza’s waterfront restaurant space beside the new performing arts center Glazer Hall. Their aptly named Tutto Mare opened in January.

“I think they loved that we’re a husband and wife who are involved in our community and not about a fancy, 300-seat restaurant,” said Karan de Felice, regarding WS Development president Samantha [Perry] David’s vision in leasing the retail center. “The Perrys are big customers of ours.”

The interior of Tutto Mare. Photo by Eric Striffler Photography.

Judging from Tutto Mare’s debut, David guessed right. Karan de Felice isn’t the name-dropping type yet estimates they hosted 75 to 100 VIPs a day for the grand opening and she plans another cocktail reception this winter for those who were out of town. Guests marveled at how she managed to wrangle the Palm Beach crowd.

“Many asked how did you get all these people to come out of their homes, but the restaurant is warm and unpretentious with the candles, the music, flowers and the water view,” said Karan de Felice. “There’s a soul to our places like how you feel the spirit of the owners at Indochine, Bar Pitti, and [Keith] McNally’s restaurants.”

The narrative starts in southern Italy, where de Felice hails from and the couple met in Ischia. Commissioning their longtime architecture firm Bonetti/Kozerski and lighting design by L’Observatoire International, they sourced Costa Group millwork and Dedar fabric as well as travertine marble and dishware from Italy.

The 15,000-square-foot space was broken up into intimate vignettes, including the former, John Volk-designed Royal Poinciana Playhouse’s Celebrity Room that once entertained Hollywood A-listers, many of whose likenesses stare down from its restored, original ceiling mural. Karan de Felice reimagined the landmark as a lounge with Balinese teak furniture for diners to have drinks, seafood towers, caviar and French fries while waiting for tables; the floor was raised to maximize proximity to the water. Diners can also entertain themselves by shopping onsite for Kelly Klein ceramics, Robert Lee Morris jewelry, and cashmere sweaters manufactured in Italy by Karan de Felice’s mother, Donna Karan.

The interior of Tutto Mare. Photo by Eric Striffler Photography.

“I’m close with Kelly Klein, and she’s been by my side this whole Palm Beach venture,” said Karan de Felice, who also counts her mother and the late Italian Vogue editor in chief Franca Sozzani as inspirational innovators. “It’s not just a restaurant. There are books, a juice bar, and people want to hang out all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

Full menus with a Mediterranean seafood focus will roll out during the season. Lemon spritzes complement crudos, crustacean pastas and salt-encrusted, whole fish prepared by executive chef Agostino Petrosino, who’s helping the place get up and running, and chef de cuisine Carmine Nozzolino, who’s in for the long haul. Two pastry chefs from Capri make desserts such as pistachio profiteroles and chocolate caprese.

“I’m getting fat just telling you about all the desserts,” said de Felice, who works with regenerative coffee farms in Costa Rica for the after-meal espresso, among the all-day coffee offering. “Our coffee program is run by our restaurant partners Gally and David Mayer, who are partners here in Palm Beach, too.”

Having grown up in boating culture, de Felice hopes to add dock and dine hospitality. If dock permitting isn’t in the cards, he at least envisions a 1967 Riva motorboat that would ferry guests to enjoy the sunset on Tutto Mare’s 1,200-square-foot terrace.

“We want to create what we’ve achieved in the Hamptons, where you can park your boat, have a spritz and a beautiful grilled fish. That’s our biggest goal,” said Karan de Felice.