Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar

CallisonRTKL designs star chef eatery.

CallisonRTKL collaborated with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and James Beard award-winner Richard Sandoval to design Sandoval’s latest eatery, Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar. Situated on the 18th hole of the Stadium Course at Scottsdale’s acclaimed Tournament Players Club golf course, Toro masterfully melds pan-Latin cuisine, combining the distinct flavors of South and Central America with ingredients rooted in the Japanese and Chinese Peruvian cultures.

Located in the golf course’s clubhouse, the space formerly housed an aging establishment called The Grill, a pub-like restaurant with dated décor. To complement Toro’s sophisticated and contemporary South American food offering, the CallisonRTKL design team created a warm, yet industrial feel, combining natural and modern finishes. Raw materials were used to form layers of texture: reclaimed barn wood wrapped columns, blackened steel panels on the bar and fireplace, and cowhide ottomans in the lounge area. The addition of rum lockers made from distressed wood and chicken wire provides a distinctive backdrop to the lounge, while a contemporary art display of animal horns furthers the rustic authenticity of the region.

By removing the barriers between the bar and dining room, Toro’s bar becomes a central hub of energy, infusing the dining areas on either side with an energy that is distributed throughout the restaurant’s 90-seat space. The bar itself is a visual centerpiece, wrapped in bubbled, bolted steel, complemented by bright white custom pendant chandeliers and clusters of hanging exposed light bulbs that emulate Arizona’s starlit skies.

Location Scottsdale, Arizona Services , Markets