Inside Ormond Sandakan, Pietro takes a relaxed approach to Mediterranean dining, with Sandakan Bay providing the backdrop. Opened in August 2026, the restaurant combines coastal-inspired cooking with a contemporary setting designed for lingering lunches, sunset dinners and evenings by the water.
The restaurant draws on the Mediterranean’s longstanding relationship with the sea, placing seafood, fresh produce and simple cooking techniques at the centre of its menu. Yet its location in Sabah gives the concept a distinctly local character, with Bornean ingredients worked into selected dishes.
By The Sea
Seafood is prepared with Mediterranean influences, while the menu moves through pasta, seasonal vegetables and wood-fired pizzas. At the centre of the kitchen is a Josper grill, using natural charcoal embers and a closed-oven design to retain moisture while giving seafood, meat and vegetables a deep smokiness.
The wood-fired brick oven brings a similar emphasis on flame to Pietro’s pizzas, with crisp bases and familiar Mediterranean flavours. Pasta offerings range from classic preparations to signature creations, keeping the menu broad enough for both casual meals and longer dinners.
The more distinctive thread, however, is the restaurant’s use of Sabahan and Bornean produce. Local ingredients are incorporated into signature dishes, creating a version of Mediterranean cuisine that is specific to its setting rather than simply reproducing the flavours of the region.
The waterfront location reinforces that sense of place. Pietro is intended as much for the occasion as the meal — a setting for a long lunch overlooking the bay, an early dinner as the light changes or a relaxed gathering that carries into the evening.
For Ormond Sandakan, the opening adds a culinary dimension to the hotel while giving both visitors and locals another reason to spend time by the waterfront. Pietro’s proposition is straightforward: Mediterranean cooking shaped by the character of Sabah, served in a setting that encourages guests to stay awhile.
